Dying Isn't Such A Bad Thing
by The-World-Hates-Me72
Summary: Azaelia is a girl who lost everything. She is found by Gandalf and is trained to fight. Years later she joins the Company of Thorin Oakenshield. Will she find something she has lost and maybe more? If she does, will she lose it all again to a tragedy called Death?
1. Chapter 1

"Gandalf, the poor hobbit does not want to be bothered." I said as Gandalf and I walked with the other dwarves up to Master Baggin's hole.

He ignored what I said and Dori rang the bell.

"There is nobody home!" I heard from inside, "Go away, and bother somebody else! There's far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is. If...if this is some blunt head's idea of a joke, I can only say, it is in very poor taste!" He said before opening the door and the dwarves in front of me fell inside the doorway.

Gandalf bent down to look at Bilbo.

"Gandalf." He sighed in relief

We got inside and all of the dwarves were making food and Gandalf started helping setting up the long table. Bilbo was complaining the whole time. Gandalf stood by the chandelier and started counting everyone off.

"Kili, Fili, Balin, Dwalin, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Ori, Dori, Bombur, Bofur, Bifur, Azaelia, ... we appear to be one dwarf short." Gandalf said, counting us off.

"He is late, is all." Dwalin said, "Traveled north to a meeting of our kin. He will come."

"Mr. Gandalf, here is your little glass of red wine." Dori said, handing Gandalf, literally, a little glass of red wine.

"Cheers," Gandalf said before drinking the glass.

A while later the food was ready and all of the dwarves ate in the dining room, cheering and eating.

"Come eat with us, lass!" Fili said from the table.

"No thank you. Too crowded." I replied before I took a few tomatoes and sat in the other room, eating them.

I watched the hilarious look on Bilbo's face as he saw the dwarves eating all of his food. The dwarves were quiet for a moment, only drinking their ale. After they ate they cleaned the dishwashers, and again Bilbo was running around, making sure they don't ruin anything. I smiled as I watched Kili and Fili throw there plates to Bifur who caught them without even looking.

"Please don't do that, you'll blunt them." Bilbo said to the four dwarves sitting at the table, banging their silverware and feet.

"Did ya hear that?" Bofur asked the other men, "He said we'll blunt them."

_Blunt the knives and bend the forks_

_Smash the bottles and burn the corks_

_Chip the glasses and crack the plates_

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

_Cut the cloth and tread the fat_

_Leave the bones on the bedroom mat_

_Pour the milk on the pantry floor_

_Splash the wine on every door!_

_Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl_

_Pound them up with a thumping pole_

_And when you've finished, if any are whole_

_Send them down the hall to roll!_

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

We laughed and watched Bilbo's face as he saw all the dishes clean. We were then silenced by a knock on the door.

"He is here." Gandalf said, taking the pipe out of his mouth.

We all waited in the doorway of the next room, looking at the door. Gandalf opened it and there was another dwarf, not unlike the others he looked meaner. Then again so did Dwalin before I got to know him a bit.

"Gandalf." The man said walking into the hobbit hole, "I thought you said this place was easy to find. I lost my way, twice. I would not have found it at all if it were not for the mark on the door." He said, taking off his cloak.

"Mark? There is no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago." Bilbo said, walking over to Gandalf.

"There is a mark, I made it myself." Gandalf replied. "Bilbo Baggins let me introduce you to the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

"So," Thorin said, crossing his arms, "This is our hobbit. Tell me Mr. Baggins have you done much fighting?"

"Hardly." Bilbo answered.

"Axe, sword, what's your weapon of choice?" Thorin asked, circling Bilbo.

"Well, I have some skill at conkers if you must know. But I fail to see why that is relevant." Bilbo voice dropped as he continued with the sentence, seeming somewhat embarrassed.

"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar." Thorin said and everyone chuckled before going into the dining room.

Thorin ate while the other dwarves asked him questions. I stood next to Bilbo in the doorway behind Gandalf and we both listened in on the conversation.

"What news from the meeting of Ered Luin?" Balin asked.

"They will not come." Thorin simply answered before taking another bite of his food. "They said that this quest is ours and ours alone."

"You are going on a quest?" Bilbo asked from beside me.

Thorin looked at him before looking to me.

"And who are you?" He asked me.

"Azaelia." I answered.

"And why are you here?" Thorin questioned.

Gandalf stood up before speaking for me, "She is coming along with the company."

Thorin stared at me for another few moments before hesitantly nodding and he continued eating. I was confused, I thought someone like him was going to put up a fuss about a woman going on a quest.

"Bilbo, let us have a little more light." Gandalf said.

Bilbo nodded before walking off and bringing back a candle.

"Far to the east, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single, solitary peak." Gandalf said, taking out a piece of parchment and unfolding it and placing it on the table in front of Thorin.

"The Lonely Mountain." Bilbo read from behind Gandalf with a candle.

"Aye, Oin has read the portance and the portance say it is time..." Gloin said.

"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as foretold." Oin continued.

I watched as Bilbo walked to his pantry and when the beast was mentioned, he walked into the hallway.

"What beast?" He asked.

"Well, that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible." Bofur answered, taking his pipe out of his mouth. "Chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, and extremely fond of precious metals."

"Yeah, I know what a dragon is." Bilbo said as Ori stood up, scraping his chair on the ground.

"I am not afraid!" He exclaimed, "I am up for it! I will give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksy!" I smiled at the young dwarf's outburst.

All the other dwarves were cheering before Dori pulled Ori down into his seat, "Sit down!"

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. But we are just fourteen, not fourteen of the best nor brightest," Balin said and more mumbles of protest once again over the other dwarves as being called weak and stupid.

"We may be few in numbers, but we are fighters! All of us to the last dwarf! And lady." Fili said, adding the last part while looking at me.

"And you forget we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time!" Kili said before we all looked at the wizard.

"Well, now, I-I" He started.

"How many then?" Dori asked.

"What?" Gandalf questioned.

"How many dragons have you killed?" He repeated and for some unknown reason all the dwarves except for Thorin stood up and started yelling.

I caught Bilbo's eyes and he looked at me, wondering why they were yelling. I shrugged my shoulders before I saw Thorin stand up.

"Enough!" He yelled and everyone shut up and sat down, "If we have read these signs, do you not think others would have read them, too? Rumours have begun to spread. The dragon, Smaug, has not been seen for sixty years. Eyes look east of the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies on protecting, and we sit back, while others claim what is rightfully ours. Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?!"

The other dwarves started cheering before Thorin sat down.

"You forget that the front gate is sealed." Balin said, "There is now way into the mountain."

"That my dear Balin is not entirely true." Gandalf replied, taking out a key.

"Who gave you this?" Thorin asked, looking at the key with awe.

"It was given to me by your father." Gandalf answered. "For safe keeping. It is yours now." He said, handing it to Thorin.

"If there is a key, then there must be a door." Fili said.

"These ruins speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls." Gandalf said, looking at the map.

"There is another way in." Kili smiled.

"If we can find it. Both doors are invisible." Gandalf replied before sighing, "The answer lies somewhere in this map. And I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle Earth who can. The task I have in my mind would have a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage." He said looking a Bilbo, "That is if we are careful, and clever. I believe it can be done."

"That is why we need a burglar." Ori said.

"And a good one, too. An expert I imagine." Bilbo commented.

"And are you?" Bofur asked.

Bilbo looked behind him before answering, "Am I what?"

"He said he is an expert." Oin joked and a few of the dwarves chuckled.

"Me? No, no, no, no. I am not a burglar. I have never stolen a thing in my life." Bilbo replied.

"I think I am going to have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He is hardly burglar material." Balin said.

"The wild is no place for gentle folk who can not fight." Dwalin agreed.

Everyone started discussing with each other, making wild hand gestures and throwing small bits of food.

"That is enough, I say." Gandalf said, standing up. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can be unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is custom to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage." He said before turning to Thorin, You asked me to find two other members for the company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins and Azaelia. You must trust me on this."

"Very well. We'll do it your way." Thorin replied after a moment of silence and turned to Balin, "Give them the contract."

"It's just the usual about pocket expenses, time required, funeral arrangements, so forth." Balin said, holding out the contracts to us.

"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo questioned, looking at me.

I didn't really care about the contract, so I signed it right away and gave it back to Balin while Bilbo actually read the long piece of parchment. We all stared at him as he kept reading.

"Incineration?" Bilbo asked.

"Melt the skin off your bones in the blink of your eye." Bofur said.

"Huh."

"You alright, laddie?" Balin asked as Bilbo put his hand on his knees and started breathing heavily.

"Yeah, I just feel a bit faint." He replied.

"Think furnace, with wings." Bofur said, standing up and leaning on the doorway.

"I-I-I need air." Bilbo said.

"Flash of light, searing pain, then puff!" Bofur gestured wildly with his pipe, "You are nothing more than a pile of ash."

Bilbo stood, he looked like he was thinking for a moment, shuffling his feet.

"Nope." He said before fainting.

"Very helpful, Bofur."

After a few minutes we got him to wake up and he sat in a chair next to the fireplace.

"Are you okay, Master Baggins?" I asked handing him a cup of tea.

"I will be alright. Just let me sit quietly for a moment." Bilbo replied.

"You have been sitting quietly for far too long." Gandalf said, waving me off to the other room with a few of the other dwarves inside. I leaned quietly against the wall, watching Gandalf and Bilbo speak to each other.

"He is not coming, is he?" I asked Gandalf after Bilbo left the room.

"He has disagreed to come." Gandalf replied.

"I think he will change his mind." I smiled.

"And why is that, Azaelia?" Gandalf asked.

"No one would give up the chance to go on an adventure like this." I answered.

A few minutes later I found myself sitting in the corner, watching all of the dwarves who had gathered around the fire.

_Far over the Misty Mountains cold_

_To dungeons deep and caverns cold_

_We must away, ere break of day_

_To find our long forgotten gold._

The other dwarves joined in, familiar to the song.

_The pines were roaring on the height_

_The winds were moaning in the night_

_The fire was red, it flaming spread_

_The trees like torches blazed with light._

I found my eyes becoming heavy during the song and I fell asleep as it ended.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Gandalf woke me up around dawn. Everyone but Bilbo packed up and we were on the road on the ponies. I rode near the back next to Bofur and Ori, and it was mid-morning with no sign of Bilbo. Everyone made bets on whether he was coming or not, and I put in most of my coins.

"Wait!" I heard a yell.

We all stopped and looked behind us to see Bilbo running up to us.

"I signed it." Bilbo said, holding out the contract to Balin.

"Everything appears to be in order." Balin said, looking at the contract. "Welcome, Master Baggins, to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield."

"Give him a pony." Thorin said from the front of the group.

"No-no. That will not be necessary. I am sure I can keep up on foot."

Bilbo's protests were ignored as Fili and Kili lifted Bilbo onto an empty pony.

"Come on Nori, give it up." Dori smiled.

Bags of coins were tossed around and I grabbed onto the one that was thrown my way.

"What is that about?" Bilbo asked.

"We placed bets on whether you were going to show up." I answered, riding up next to Gandalf who caught a bag of coins, who was next to Bilbo. "Most of them thought you would not."

Bilbo then sneezed, "All of this horse hair." He rambled as he reached into his pocket. "Wait, wait, stop! We have to turn around."

"What is wrong?" I asked.

"I forgot my handkerchief."

"Here, use this." Bofur said, ripping off a piece of his shirt and throwing it back to Bilbo.

Bilbo looked at it with disgust and some of us laughed before we continued to ride along. We rode along fields and valleys, and through the woods before we stopped for the night when it was starting to get dark.

"Azaelia, you take first watch." Thorin instructed me.

I nodded, grabbing my sword before walking over to a tree and sitting with my back against it.

A few hours later, all of the dwarves were asleep, except the lone hobbit who kept twisting and turning.

"Cannot sleep?" I asked when he sat up, glaring at Bombur.

"Kind of hard when you have 13 dwarves all snoring at once." Bilbo replied, getting up and sitting next to me.

"Can I ask you a question?" He asked me.

"Sure." I replied.

"Why do you trust Gandalf so much? You signed the contract right away without reading it." Bilbo asked.

"Gandalf is like a father to me. He took me in when he could have just left me on the streets." I answered.

"No family?"

"I did." I replied.

"What happened to them, if you do not mind me asking?" Bilbo questioned.

"Well, first you must understand that I had two younger brothers, one older brother and three younger sisters. My father died before I was born and my mum married another man and had my siblings. He was always away for work, so I had to help my mum take care of the younglings. But, one day each month I got her all to myself. The younglings would go to my mum's friend's house for the day while mum and I would walk into the forest outside of the village and have a picnic and watch the stars until it was time to go. One day we were watching the stars, and we saw giant clouds of smoke and screams coming from the village. She had to make sure my brothers and sisters were okay, so she gave me her locket, promised she would be back to get me before leaving. She never came back." I said.

"I am sorry." Bilbo replied.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I later found out it was Wargs who raided my village. No one survived, at least I do not think so. The next morning I went down there and found buildings burned to the ground, and a few dead bodies."

"Where did you go after that?"

"I left for another village only a few miles away. I was only eight, so I could not work. I stole things from the market. That is how Gandalf found me. I was pick-pocketing from a prick and he saw me. He then took me in, he trained me how to fight and told me about the adventures he went on, and now here I am." I answered.

"No one should lose their family that early." Bilbo said.

I felt someone's eyes on my but I chose to ignore it as Bilbo and I sat in comfortable silence.

The next day we traveled along mountains and we stopped when it got dark on an edge of a cliff. Fili and Kili were on watch and some other dwarves were still awake, but I woke up to the sound of Orcs.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked.

"Orcs." Kili answered.

"Orcs?" Bilbo questioned.

"Throat-cutters." Fili tells him, "There will be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone is asleep." Kili said, "Quick and quiet, no screams, just lots of blood."

That's not true. I still hear the screams of the villagers in my head. Almost every night. I have been haunted by the murder of my family for the last fourteen years. I shiver at the thought.

"You alright, lass?" Bofur asked from next to me.

I nodded to him and pulled my cloak closer to me. And I hear Fili and Kili chuckle.

"You think that is funny?" I look over at Thorin who stood over by the rocks and walked over, his eyes rested on me before turning to his nephews, "You think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?"

"We did not mean anything by it." Kili replied, sounding ashamed.

"No, you did not." Thorin said, walking to the edge of the cliff, "You know nothing of the world."

"Do not mind him, laddie." Balin said, "Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had gotten there first. Moria had been taken by legions if Orcs lead by the most vile of their race: Azog the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began..." Balin paused, then continued with pain in his voice "By beheading the king."

"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us."

I look over at Throin, who was still standing by the cliff. It must have been horrible, seeing his grandfather beheaded before his very eyes, and his father disappeared, not knowing what happened to him.

"That's when I saw him, a young dwarf prince facing down the pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armour rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the Orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived." You could hear the sadness in Balin's voice as he spoke. "And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call king."

"But the pale Orc, what happened to him?" Bilbo asked.

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came," Thorin said, walking by us, "That filth died of his wounds long ago."

I shivered and pulled my cloak even closer to me before trying to sleep again. Which did not happen.


	3. Chapter 3

Some days later we were traveling through the forest as it rained. I was next to Bilbo with my hood up, covering my dark red hair. Looking over at Bilbo I smiled at his grumpy looking face.

"Mr. Gandalf, can you not do something about this deluge?" Dori asked.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done." Gandalf replied. "If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."

"Are there any?" Bilbo asked.

"What?"

"Other wizards."

"There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards - you know, I've quite forgotten there names." Gandalf replied.

"Alatar and Pallando, Gandalf." I said.

"Ah yes, Alatar and Pallando." Gandalf smiled at me.

"And who is the fifth?"

"Radagast the Brown." I answered.

"Is he a great wizard, or is he more like you?" Bilbo asked Gandalf.

I hand to cover my mouth with my hand to stifle my laugh. I look over at Bilbo and see he face flush from what he just said. Gandalf looks at Bilbo, then me, before laughing softly.

"I think he is a very great wizard, in his own way. He is a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to other. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing, too, for always evil will look to find a foot hole in this world." Gandalf replied.

The next afternoon the rain had stopped and we were travelling until we cam upon a beaten, old farmhouse.

"We will camp here for the night." Thorin said. "Fili, Kili, watch the ponies. Make sure you stay with them."

I followed Gandalf into the old farmhouse.

"A farmer and his family used to live here." Gandalf said to me before turning to Thorin, who was walking toward us, "I think it is wise to move on and make to the Hidden Valley, do you nog think so, Azaelia?"

"Oh no, I am not being dragged into this one." I said, glaring at him before walking away, towards the other dwarves.

I made small talk with Bilbo and Balin when Gandalf stomped toward us.

"Is everything alright?" Bilbo asked.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To seek company of the only one here who has any sense." He answered, walking by us.

"And who is that?" Bilbo asked.

"Myself, Mr. Baggins." Gandalf answered before leaving.

"I would not take it too much to heart. He has a tantrum every once in awhile. Usually when people do not listen to him." I commented.

We then turned to look at Thorin, who was most likely the one who made Gandalf upset.

"Come on, Bombur, we are hungry." Thorin ordered.

"Is he coming back?" Bilbo asked me.

"At some point." I answered.

As it got darker out I saw Bilbo get worried.

"Do not worry, Bilbo. He is a wizard, he will come back." I said.

To keep him busy I gave him two bowls of the stew Bombur made and told him to give it to Fili and Kili, who were still watching the horses. Minutes later, Fili and Kili run over to the Company, telling us about the trolls stealing our ponies and how Bilbo is trying to get them back.

"Azaelia, you stay here. Everyone else, let's go." Thorin said.

"I can fight too, you know." I said, standing up from where I sat on the stone.

"You say you can fight, and we have yet to see it." He replied.

"Because you are not giving me a chance to prove it!" I exclaimed.

"Stay here and do not come looking for us, no matter how long we have been gone." Thorin commanded before he and the rest of the Company left through the trees.

I sighed and sat back down, poking a stick at the fire. After awhile, I got worried. I stood up and walked through the trees and found the dwarves. Some were put over a fire, and others were laying in bags by boulders except for Bombur, who was held in the air by one of the trolls.

Bilbo told the giant, slimy trolls how they had parasites. Kili, Gloin, Oin, Ori, and Balin started yelling, saying they did not have parasites. Thorin then kicked Kili in the back of the head. Everyone was quiet for a second before saying that they, in fact, do have parasites. From the corner of my eye I saw Gandalf, running through the trees. I grabbed my dagger from my boot and hid it behind my back.

"Let him go!" I yelled, exposing myself from the safety and cover of the trees.

"What did you say?!" One of the trolls yelled.

"I said let him go you lardass, deadbeat, slimy, dimwitted troll." I said slowly.

"Grab her!" The troll yelled with anger.

One of the trolls ran toward me, but was too slow. I threw the dagger and it hit the troll in the eye. He screamed in pain before falling to the ground. The other ran toward me, but stopped when we heard a voice.

"The dawn will take you all!" Gandalf yelled before using his staff and smashing it against the boulder he was on.

The boulder broke in half, making the light from the sun shine through, hitting the trolls and they turned to stone. I grabbed a dagger from the pile of weapons and walked over to the dwarves on the ground.

"I told you to stay by the fire." Thorin said as I cut his bag.

"And if I would have you would be troll food." I replied, starting to cut Kili's bag.

"That was a nice throw." Kili smiled, standing up.

"Thank you." I replied before walking toward Gandalf, who was looking at the trolls.

"Have I ever told you how dramatic you are?" I asked.

"Many times, Azaelia, many times." He answered.

"Where were you, if I may ask." Thorin questioned, walking toward us.

"To look ahead." Gandalf answered.

"And what brought you back?"

"Looking behind."

I looked at the troll who had my dagger in his eye, "Since when did mountain trolls travel this far south?"

"Not for an age." Gandalf answered. "Not since a darker power rode these lands."

"I do not like the sound of that." I whispered.

"They could not have moved in daylight." Gandalf said.

"There must be a cave nearby." Thorin replied before walking off.

"Troll cave. Lovely." I said to Gandalf before following Thorin.

It was not long before we found it. It was not very hard either. Just had to follow the stench of rotting meat that has been in the sun for too long.

"What is that stench?" Gloin asked.

"Death and decay. Maybe some rotten turnips. Careful what you touch." I answered.

The cave had loads of coins lying around on the ground. And a few dead bodies. I guess that is where the smell came from. I also found a rotten pumpkin, close enough. I grabbed a small pouch from a rock and filled it up with the gold coins that was lying on the ground. It is a shame it will be left here, forgotten.

"Nori, get a shovel." I heard from behind me.

"Azaelia, come here." I heard Gandalf say.

I walked over to him and he handed me a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

"I believe you have been practicing with one for a while now. Do you think you can use it?" Gandalf asked.

I nodded, "Thank you, Gandalf."

I breathed in and gagged. Then I started making my way towards the entrance with my bag of coins and new weapon. I leaned against the wall next to Bilbo.

"Do not go in unless you want to lose your sense of smell and want to go blind." I told him.

He chuckled and the dwarves that went in the cave came out.

"Bilbo." Gandalf called out as he came out of the foul smelling place.

"Here, this is about your size." Gandalf said, giving him a sword.

"I cannot take this." Bilbo replied.

"The blade is of elvish making. That means it will glow blue if orcs or goblins are nearby."

"That will be handy." I commented before I felt a vibration in the ground.

I looked around before I walked over to Thorin.

"Did you feel it?" I asked.

"Feel what?" He asked before it happened again, and I know he must have felt it.

"That." I replied.

"Something is coming!" Thorin called out to the rest of the group.

"Stick together and arm yourselves." Gandalf said.

I drew my sword and we all started gathered around each other.

"Seize! Fire! Murder!"

"Radagast!" I exclaimed.

"Azaelia! My, girl, I haven't seen you since you were this tall." Radagast replied, steadying a hand at what height I believe I was at when I was twelve.

"Radagast the Brown. What on Earth are you doing here?" Gandalf asked, walking up to him.

"I was looking for you Gandalf. Something is wrong. Something is terribly wrong." Radagast said.

"Yes?"

Radagast opened his mouth and held up a finger.

"Give me a minute. I had a thought and now I lost it."

"Not the first time that has happened." I said under my breath.

"It is right there on the tip of my tongue." Radagast said before sticking his tongue out, "Oh, it is not a thought at all. It's a little..."

Gandalf grabbed a bug out of Radagast's mouth.

"It is a little stick insect."

Gandalf and Radagast left for a little meeting. I sat on a rock, closing my eyes before I heard someone sit down next to me.

"You trust that man?" Thorin asked.

"Radagast? Yes. He may seem a little loopy but he is great. But if he is here, something bad must be happening." I replied.

"What about Gandalf? Do you trust him?" He asked.

"What kind of question is that? The man practically raised me. He taught me just about everything I know." I answered.

"I am sorry about what happened to your family." Thorin said, changing the subject.

So he was the one awake that night.

"I never found their bodies. When I was younger I used to believe that they are still alive. They are out there looking for me like I was looking for them." I replied.

"You do not believe that now?" He asked.

"No," I said, shaking my head and looked at him, "I do not."

"What were they like, your siblings?" Thorin questioned.

"My older brother, Damon, he was such a ladies man. He had light green eyes and dark hair. Girls followed him around a lot. Nick and Michael were my younger twin brothers. Inseparable, they were. They always got in trouble and played pranks on people. Ivy and Arabella were the other pair of twins. Such opposites. Ivy liked light colors and the Arabella liked dark colors, they liked different foods, different seasons, different time of day. Primula, Prim, she was the youngest. She could barely talk when our village was destroyed."

Then I heard a warg. Must be my memories catching up to me again.

"Was that a wolf?" Bilbo asked. "Are there wolves out there?"

I was not the only one who heard it.

"That is no wolf." I replied.

We heard a growl and a branch break. I turned around and saw a warg coming toward Thorin and I. Thorin took his sword and killed it. Another one was behind me and Kili was quick to kill it with his arrow.

"Warg scouts. That means an Orc pack is not far behind." Throin said.

"Orc pack?" Bilbo questioned.

"Who did you tell about your crest? About your kin?" Gandalf asked Thorin.

"No one." Thorin answered.

"Who did you tell?!" Gandalf demanded.

"No one I swear!" Throin repeated. "What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted."

"We have to get out of here." Dwalin said.

"We cannot. We have no ponies." Ori replied. "They bolted."

"I will draw them off." Radagast said.

"These are Gundabad Wargs. They will outrun you." Gandalf replied.

"These are Rhosgobel rabbits. I would like to see them try."


	4. Chapter 4

I panted as I ran between Fili and Kili. I could run faster if I did not have my pack with me, weighing me down. We ran and hid behind boulders, following Gandalf's orders. We were hiding behind a boulder when I heard the breath of a Warg from on top of the rock. Thorin put a hand on my mouth to quiet my breaths and he gave Kili a nod. Kili slowly grabbed an arrow and jumped away from the boulder and hit the Warg. Both the Warg and Orc fell. Dwalin hit the Warg that was running toward us and Bifur and Thorin killed the squealing Orc.

"Oh they definitely heard us now!" I harshly whispered.

"Run!" Gandalf yelled.

No matter how fast they would run I knew the Wargs were faster.

I let out a yelp when I fell and twisted my ankle. Bifur helped me up and I noticed that Gandalf was gone.

"There is more coming!" Kili yelled.

"We are surrounded!" Fili shouted.

"Kili, shoot them!" Thorin ordered.

"Where is Gandalf?" Dori asked.

"He has abandon us!" Dwalin answered.

"You say you trust him?" Thorin asked as Bifur helped me walk over to him.

I glared, "Yes."

"Hold your ground!" Thorin yelled.

"This way you fools!" I heard from behind me.

I turned around and saw Gandalf.

Bifur helped me and we slid down the stone slide. Followed by Bofur, Bilbo and Balin.

"Are you alright?" Bilbo asked.

I nodded and we heard a horn. You could hear the Orcs and Wargs being slaughtered. Then an Orc fell down and landed in front of us. Some of the dwarves had their weapon pointed toward it. Gandalf poked it, obviously it was dead. Thorin ripped out the arrow the Orc had in it's chest.

"Elves." He said, disgusted, tossing the arrow to the ground.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads!" Dwalin yelled from farther down the tunnel, "Should we follow it?"

"Of course we do!" Bofur yelled.

We all walked through the tunnel, having to squeeze through some parts of it. Above us the sky peaked out from the rocks. I limped with Fili in front of me and Kili behind, making sure that I don't fall.

"Do you feel that?" I asked.

"Feel what?" Fili and Kili asked.

"The magic." I answered with a smile as we came to the end of the tunnel.

It was beautiful. In ways I could not describe.

"The Valley of Imladris. But in Common Tongue it is known by another name." Gandalf said.

"Rivendell." Bilbo said.

We walked down from where we were and to the buildings. Gandalf in front of us all. We all stood in a circle, waiting. Then an Elf walked down the steps, talking in Elven to Gandalf.

"I must speak to Lord Elrond." Gandalf said.

"Lord Elrond is not here." The Elf spoke in Common Tongue.

"Not here? Where is he?" Gandalf questioned.

Then there was a horn just like the one we heard earlier and we turned around and saw horses galloping toward us. I was pushed forward and the dwarves surrounded Bilbo and I. The men on the horses surrounded us.

"Gandalf."

"Elrond."

Gandalf started speaking to the man in Elvish and I looked around at the men on the horses. There was one that caught my eye. Unlike the others, he wasn't wearing a helmet or any armor. He had on a short-sleeved dark green shirt and black trousers. He had dark hair, almost black, but I could not see his eyes. He was obviously a human, from the lack of pointy ears.

"What is your name milady?" The man Gandalf was talking to asked me.

"Azaelia." I answered.

"You are hurt, I offer some assistance and a bath for you, if you want." Elrond said.

I nodded and Elrond turned to the man without any armor and spoke to him in Elvish. The man's eyes widened and he got off of his horse. He walked toward me and the dwarves raised their weapons.

"I will not harm her, I promise." He said to them.

They hesitantly lowered their weapons and I followed the man up the steps.

"What is your name?" I asked as we walked down a hall.

"Damon." He answered.

I let out a small laugh.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing. It's just... I had a brother with that name." I replied.

"Here is the room. There will be a bath awaiting in there. I will be back shortly if you need anything." Damon said, opening the door.

I looked down at his arm and saw a small scar. My eyes widened and I nodded quickly before going in and shutting the door. My brother had a scar just like that. He had an accident with a knife and left him a scar on his arm.

I found my long lost brother.


	5. Chapter 5

It had to be him. It just had to. But how? I looked all over the village for anyone. There was no one.

First a she-elf came in and wrapped my ankle. When she left I went into the bathroom and took off my trousers and shirt. The bath was great. It was warm and it was so nice to be clean again. I walked out of the bathroom and there was a beautiful dark green dress on the bed. Unfortunately there was a corset. That means I cannot do it up by myself. I sighed. I put the dress on. There was a heart neckline outlined in white. The corset had a beautiful white, pink, and blue swirly looking pattern and there was sleeves that went down to my hands. The skirt was green and went down to my feet. And for shoes there were black and white boots.

"Um, Damon?" I asked hesitantly, sticking my head out the door and saw him sitting across the hall.

"Yes?" He replied, standing up.

"Well, uh, the dress, in the back there is-" I started.

"You need help?" He asked.

I nodded and let him into the room. I faced away from him and he began pulling on the laces.

"There you go." He said once he was finished.

"Thank you." I replied, staring at the ground.

"Dinner had already begun. I will take you down when you are done." Damon said before walking back out the room.

I sighed and began to braid my dark red hair. When I was done I looked into the full length mirror in the corner. I then walked outside and I walked with Damon and took a leap of faith.

"So where are the others?" I asked.

"At dinner down-" He began before I interrupted.

"I was talking about my younger brothers and sisters. It has been thirteen years and I am eager to see them again, big brother."

I was then taken off of the ground and was in his arms.

"I thought it was you. I just could not have been sure." I heard him say into my hair.

"I missed you." I said, hugging him back.

"And I, you."

"Where are they? They are okay, are they not?" I asked as he set me down.

"The others are just fine. They were finishing their studies when I visited them while you were getting ready. They will be down-"

"Azaelia!"

I was tackled to the floor with the younglings on top of me.

"I missed you, too." I replied as two boys helped me up.

"Nicholas? Michael?" I questioned.

They still had their light blonde shaggy hair. Their eyes a now darker blue, but still had playfulness in them just like the last time I saw them. They smiled.

"Older than the last time, eh?" Nic asked.

"We are nineteen now. Not the same six year olds we were." Michael smiled.

"Uh, no, you still act like six year olds." Damon said.

I turned to Arabella and Ivy. They both dark brown hair. Arabella's was long and was down to her hip. Ivy's was shorter, going just past the shoulders.

"And you two are seventeen, correct?"

Ivy smiled and hugged me.

"Yes. Our birthday was a few months ago." Arabella replied.

Prim was small. Probably because she was fourteen. Only one-years-old when the incident happened. Her blonde hair was braided and she had light blue eyes.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Great." She answered.

I turned back to Damon.

"How did you get here? I searched the village, I did not find anyone." I said.

"Mr. Wilson." Damon answered.

Mr. Wilson was an old man who would sell vegetables at the market. Every other week he would leave to visit his garden outside of the village.

"He found us and took us here. The elves took us in." Nic said.

Then my stomach rumbled.

"Let's get down to dinner." Damon said, leading me down more steps.

* * *

**Thorin POV**

"Where is she?" I asked as I sat down at the table with Elrond and Gandalf.

"She will be down shortly. I believe her siblings are delaying her." Elrond replied, taking a drink.

"Siblings?" I questioned.

"Yes, her brothers and sisters are here. I imagine they are having a short reunion before coming down." Elrond said.

"Ah, here she is now." Gandalf said, looking past my shoulder.

I looked over and saw her entering with three men and three girls. One of the men was the one who took her earlier, must be her older brother Damon. The other two were obviously twins. Nicholas and Michael, I believe. She smiled as a girl with short brown hair talked to her. Azaelia was wearing a dark green dress with her hair in a braid. She was beautiful, no one can deny that.

Azaelia looked over and smiled at me before sitting down between a small girl with blonde hair and Damon.

* * *

**Azaelia POV**

_There is an inn, a merry old inn_

_Beneath an old grey hill_

_And there they brew a beer so brown_

_That the Man in the Moon himself came down_

_One night to drink his fill_

_The ostler has a tipsy cat_

_That plays a five-stringed fiddle;_

_And up an down he saws his bow_

_Now squeaking high, now purring low_

_Now sawing in the middle_

_So the cat on the fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle_

_A jig that would wake the dead_

_He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune_

_While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon_

_'It's after three!' he said._

The other dwarves threw food at Bofur who just finished singing.

"Is it always like this?" Arabella asked.

"No, but it is fun." I replied.

Nic and Michael joined in on the food fight and soon we all joined in. That night I was in the room I was to stay in that night with Nic, Michael, Ivy, Arabella, and Prim. Damon had to join the meeting with Thorin and Elrond. We talked until Prim pointed out something.

"There's something in your hair." She said before leaning over and put her hand on my head.

"Oh, gods." She whispered.

"What?" I asked.

"A white hair!" Prim exclaimed.

"Azaelia, you are growing old!" Arabella joked.

"Oh, shut up!" I yelled playfully and smacked her in the head with a soft pillow.

* * *

**Damon POV**

"The girl is not fully human." Elrond spoke in Elvish.

"I know. I sensed it when I first met her." Gandalf replied back in Elvish also.

"Her brothers and sisters are all fully human, yet she is not. Their blood is different." Elrond said.

"She told me that she and her eldest brother had a different father than the others." Gandalf replied.

"Clearly whatever gene he had passed onto her did not go to Damon."

I heard footsteps behind me and turned around to see Thorin Oakenshield.

"You wish to take back your mountain?" I asked.

"Yes." He answered.

"Better sooner than later. I wish to go with you."

"Why? You have no need." Thorin replied.

"I have to protect my sister." I responded.

"There are twelve other dwarves and the wizard in the Company to watch over her." He said.

"I promised my mother long ago I would watch over her and protect her. Now that I know she is alive I know my promise has not been broken yet. I have no need for your treasure, I just need her safe." I replied.

Thorin nodded before starting to walk down the steps, "We leave at dawn."

* * *

**Azaelia POV**

The next morning I was woken up by someone shaking me.

"It is time to leave." Thorin said.

I blinked a few times before sitting up. Prim's head was on my stomach and I was using Nic's legs as a pillow. I slowly got up, trying not to wake the others and grabbed my pack before following Thorin to the other dwarves.

"Where is Gandalf?" I asked.

"He will be joining us later." He answered.

There was an extra person.

"You are coming with?" I asked Damon.

"Someone has got to watch over you." He smirked.

"I am not a child." I replied before sighing, "Just do not die, alright?"

"As long as you do not die either."


	6. Chapter 6

We traveled all day. But since we had no ponies we had to walk. We walked for days, going through fields and onto a mountain. Unfortunately the clouds above us were dark. I knew it was going to storm.

And it did.

"Hold on!" Thorin yelled to the rest of the company.

The rocks were slick and slippery, and it did not help that we were on a small ledge.

"We must find shelter." Damon said to Thorin.

Thorin nodded in agreement before Dwalin yelled.

"Look out!"

A giant boulder flew through the air and smashed onto the mountain above us. Damon pushed me closer to the mountain wall and covered my head with his arm.

"This is no thunderstorm! It is a thunder battle! Look!" Balin said.

There were giant men made of rock throwing giant boulders at each other.

"The legends are true. Giants! Storm giants!" Bofur yelled as the giant threw a boulder.

But this time it hit another giant.

The rocks started raining down on us and the ledge we were on was crumbling beneath our feet. Then it split. I looked over and Fili and some others were separated from us. I saw the panic in Kili's eyes. He was separated from his brother, I know how it feels. I grabbed his hand and he squeezed it.

"We'll get him back." I told the young dwarf.

It turns out we were on the legs of a giant. It tried to stand up, but was head-butted by a giant into the mountain. The leg I was on hit back onto the mountain and we climbed off. My ankle still injured, I slipped. Kili helped me up and we got across.

We watched as the giant the others were on slammed its leg into the mountain. When it moved back they were not on it anymore.

"No!" Thorin yelled.

We might have just lost half of the company.

"No, Fili!" Thorin yelled before running over to where the leg made contact to the mountain.

There they were. Safe and sound. I smiled and looked around before I frowned.

"Where is Bilbo?" I asked.

He was dangling off the edge of the ledge. Ori and Bofur leaned down to try and grab him, but he was too low. Thorin jumped down and helped Bilbo up before he slipped, too. Dwalin grabbed onto him and pulled Thorin up.

"I thought we lost out burglar." Dwalin said.

"He has been lost ever since he left his home. He should have never have come. He has no place amongst us." Thorin responded and I glared at him

"Thorin." Dori said, he had found a cave.

After having Dwalin search the rest of the cave, we set up camp for the night. Thorin ordered no fire so we were wet the whole time.

"You did not have to be so mean to him." I said, sitting down next to Thorin.

"I only spoke the truth." He replied, "He is a burden."

"And I am not?"

"You are different." Thorin replied.

"I do not see how." I responded.

"You can defend yourself, he cannot." Thorin said.

"He's a Hobbit! Hobbits are peaceful people. Of course he cannot defend himself. He is no different from me or some other members of your Company."

"Azaelia-" He began.

"It is best to get some rest before morning." I interrupted and stood up and walked over to Damon.

I woke up that night from the ground shaking.

"Azaelia!" I heard Damon exclaim before we fell onto a rocky slide.

At the bottom we landed on top of each other. Other than a few bruises, I believe we will all be okay.

Goblins immediately came over to us, grabbing us all. They were not very tall and had dirty brown-ish skin. They had warts spotting their skin and long, bony fingers that touched me in places I did not want to be touched. They grabbed at my breasts, hips, thighs, and my bottom.

"Do not touch me!" I yelled, kicking one off the bridge the company was being dragged onto.

In response, another goblin pulled hard on my braid.

We were walked into an opening, where there were thousands, no, more like millions of goblins. They were banging on drums and bells.

A goblin started singing. A really fat, warty, over-sized goblin.

In the middle of singing he stabbed a goblin.

"Catchy, is it not?" The Goblin King asked as he stepped on goblins to get to his seat. "It is one of my own compositions."

"It is not a song, it is an abomination!" Balin yelled and some of the other dwarves agreed.

Idiots! Don't argue with the thing!

"Search them!" The king yelled.

Our weapons were taken from us. As goblins were searching me they took advantage of _searching _me, if you know what I mean.

"Do not touch me!" I repeated as on pinched my breasts.

Swords, daggers, axes. They were thrown to the ground. Oin's earpiece he used for his damaged hearing was thrown and crushed. Even my mother's locket was thrown to the ground.

I felt so exposed without it. I have worn it everyday since my mother gave it to me the day the village was raided.

"Who would be so bold as to come into my kingdom?!" He yelled, spit flying out of his mouth, "Thieves? Spies? Assassins?!"

"Dwarves, your malevolence." A goblin answered. "And two humans."

"Dwarves? What are you doing in these parts?" The king asked.

Bofur stepped forward,

"No tricks, I want the truth."

"Well, you see, we were on the road. Well, not so much a road, more like a path. Actually, it is not even that come to think of it. It is more like a track. Anyway, point is we were on this road, like half a track, and then were were not. Which is a problem because we were suppose to be in Dunland last Tuesday." Bofur said.

"Visiting distant relations." Dori added.

"Lies!" The king yelled and the other goblins shrank back in fear.

"Bring forward the girl." He ordered.

They pushed me forward and I tripped and fell on top of the pile of weapons. I grabbed my dagger and hid it in my sleeves, no one noticed. They forced me back up and in front of the foul smelling Goblin King. From behind me I heard the dwarves protesting.

"Shut up!"

He waddled around me, staring at me the whole time. I looked over at the pile of out belongings and saw the key to the door of the Lonely Mountain.

"What were you doing in the mountains?" The king asked, taking the braid out of my hair. "Will you not tell me?"

I shook my head in response.

"Alright then, if you will not talk, I will make you squawk." He said, touching my breasts.

In anger, I took out the dagger and stabbed him through the hand. He screamed in pain before hitting me and I fell next to the pile. I grabbed the key and put it in my pocket.

"Bring out the Mangler, the Bone Crusher!" He yelled. "Start with the bitch!"

"Wait!"

Thorin stepped forward and helping me up. He gently pushed me toward the group and Damon grabbed my arm, pulling me behind him.

"Well, well, well, look who it is! Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain!" The goblin bowed mockingly before continuing, "Oh, wait, I forgot. You do not have a mountain. And you are not a king. So that makes you nobody really."

"Rude." I whispered.

"I know someone who would pay a good price for your head. Just a head, nothing attached." The goblins around us started snickering, "Perhaps you know who I speak of. He is an old enemy of yours. The Pale Orc."

"Azog the Defiler is no more. He was slain in battle long ago." Thorin said.

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" The Goblin King asked before turning to a goblin with parchment, "Send a message to the Pale Orc. I have found his prize."

The king started singing again as the torture instruments were being brought. The goblins were bounding our hands together and I saw one pick up one of Thorin's swords. It gasped and dropped it like it burned him.

"I know that sword!" The Goblin King yelled as he recoiled to his chair, "It is the Goblin Cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced a thousand necks! Slash them! Beat them! Kill them! Kill them all! Cut off his head!"

As the king yelled the goblins used there whips on us and we fought back. As I was fighting one goblin, another whipped me in the back. I bit my lower lip to hold in my scream as I landed on the ground. I looked over and saw a goblin on top of Thorin, pointing a dagger at his head. Then there was a bright light. And goblins were knocked to the ground. Everyone looked up at the source and saw Gandalf.

"Take up arms. Fight back. Fight!"

With a battle cry, we all fought back. Grabbing our weapons and killing the goblins.

"Thorin!" I yelled when I saw the king going toward him.

Thorin hit him and the Goblin King fell off the little cliff we were on.

"Follow me! Come on!" Gandalf yelled.

We ran on the paths, killing all of the goblins that were in our way. We ran and sliced, beheaded, stabbed, and ran some more until we were cutoff by the Goblin King and we were surrounded.

"You thought you could escape me?" The King asked.

He swung his staff, making Gandalf step back.

"What are you going to do now, wizard?"

Gandalf poked him in the eye with his stick and sliced the Goblin's belly, making him go to his knees.

"That will do it." The king said before Gandalf sliced his neck.

The bridge broke under the weight of the dead Goblin King and we plummeted down the dark abyss. I quickly got out of the, now, pile of wood.

"Are you alright?" Damon asked, putting his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes.

I nodded as Gandalf backed next to us.

"Well, that could have been worse." Bofur said.

Then the body of the Goblin King fell on them and they groaned.

"You have got to be joking." Dwalin groaned.

"Get up! Hurry!" I said, looking up at the endless number of goblins heading right toward us.

We helped each other get up before running down a path and out of the mountain and into the sunlight. We kept running until we were further down. Gandalf counted us as we stopped.

"Where is Bilbo? Where is your Hobbit?" Gandalf asked.

We looked around.

"Curse the halfling! Now he is lost?" Dwalin complained.

"I thought he was with Dori."

"Do not blame me!" Dori replied.

"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf questioned.

"I saw him slip away when they first cornered us." Nori said.

"What happened?" Gandalf asked.

"I'll tell you what happened. The Hobbit saw his chance and took it. He thought of nothing but his soft bed and warm house ever since he stepped out of his door. We will not be seeing our Hobbit again." Thorin answered. "He is long gone."

"No. I am right here." Bilbo said, walking up to us.

"Bilbo Baggins. I have never been so glad to see anyone in all my life." Gandalf exclaimed.

Some of the dwarves started questioning him about how he got away from the goblins.

"Why does it matter? He is back." I said.

"It matters. I want to know- why did you come back?" Thorin questioned.

"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you are right... I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong, that is home. That is why I came back... because you do not have one, a home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can." Bilbo answered.

Then we heard the howling of Wargs.

"Out of the frying pan..."

"And into the fire."


	7. Chapter 7

We ran down the hill, but ran into a problem. We were at the edge of a cliff.

"Into the trees, all of you!" Gandalf ordered.

Damon helped me into a tree and killed a Warg before following. We were further up the hill than the others, who were in the trees closer to the edge. The Wargs eventually were surrounding us and were jumping up, trying to get to us. Then I saw who I believed the leader was, on a big white Warg.

"Azog." I heard Thorin say from a few trees away.

He was covered in scars, and had a stump for an arm.

_That one is mine, kill the others._

The Wargs jumped into the trees, trying to drag us down. All of the trees fell, one by one. Until everyone but Damon and I were in the last tree. I saw Gandalf grab a pine cone and lit it on fire before throwing it down at the Wargs. He started handing pine cones to the others and they all threw them down, making the Wargs back up. They all gathered behind the Pale Orc.

Azog roared and the dwarves cheered. But then the trees started to fall. The tree was now horizontal, and everyone was hanging on. I watched as Thorin stood up and walked toward Azog with a deadly glint in his eye. He took out the sword he found in the troll cave and an oaken branch and started running toward the Pale Orc. The Warg jumped and knocked Thorin to the ground. He slowly got up but was knocked down again by the Orc's weapon. The Warg them clamped his teeth around Thorin.

"No!" I yelled.

Thorin then used his sword and hit the Warg's muzzle. He threw Thorin a few feet away on a rock. I grabbed my sword.

"You are not going down there." Damon said, grabbing my arm.

"Yes, I am."

"You will get yourself killed." He argued.

"Then so be it." I replied before jumping off the tree.

"Leave him alone!" I yelled.

Azog turned toward me, "Get her."

I looked around and the Wargs surrounded me.

"Come and get me." I said

A few of them came at me at one time. I slice and dodged, I knew I killed a few. But when the second round came, I had no chance. More came at me, and I tried to dodge. But it was no use. My sword was knocked from my hand and a Warg clawed my stomach with its giant, razor sharp claws. I screamed in pain before falling to the ground.

* * *

**Damon POV**

She was hurt. Badly. I jumped down from the tree and killed the Wargs who surrounded her.

"You are going to be okay." I told her.

She hissed in pain and I removed her hand from her stomach. She was not going to be okay. I placed her hand back on the wound that was too deep to be healed. I looked over and saw the dwarves fighting the Orcs and Wargs. The people who destroyed my village, killed my mother, and now killed my sister.

I looked up and saw giant birds killing Wargs and picking up the dwarves. I picked up Azaelia, she moaned in pain, and jumped off the cliff and landed on one of the birds.

"Damon." Azaelia began, blood was leaking out of her mouth, and she was struggling to breath.

"You are going to fine." I lied.

If she believed it then so can I.

"Damon, I cannot feel my legs. My insides are being held in by my hands. Face it, I am not going to make it." She whispered.

"Do not say that."

"I am glad I found you and Nic and Michael... and Arabella," Her breaths were shallow, "And Ivy... and Prim... before I..."

She did not finish as she went limp. Her eyes closed and one hand was in her pocket, the other falling to the side. I blinked back my tears as I took off my cloak and covered her wound and added pressure.

"Azaelia?" I asked, putting my ear to her chest, listening for a beat from her heart.

I cleaned off the blood from her lips and held her to me. I heard the bird we were on make such a sad sounding cry. As if it was announcing her death.

The birds flew us into the morning. They dropped us off on a small landform. The bird I was on was the last to land. I slowly picked up Azaelia's cold form and walked off the bird, thanking it before it flew off. I set her down and I sat by her.

"What can I do to help?" Thorin asked, kneeling on the other side of her.

"Nothing." I answered. "She is gone."

Thorin reached for her hand that fell out of her pocket, it looked like she was holding something in her fist. He opened it and there was a key.

"The key to Erebor." Thorin whispered, holding the key in his hand. "I thought it was lost in the mountain."

Gandalf walked over and went to his knees by her feet. He used the head of the stick and waved it over her body, whispering words I did not understand. Thorin and I looked at each other before turning back to Gandalf.

* * *

**Azaelia POV**

All I could see was a bright light. I could not feel anything, I was numb. Is this what death feels like? I wish I did not have such a painful one. I always thought I was going to die old in my sleep. But no, I had my insides clawed out from a Warg. That is a warrior's death.

I then heard a voice. I could not make out what it was saying. But my nerves sprung to life. I moved my fingers. But something was missing. I had the key in my hand before I died. Did I lose it? Thorin would bring me back to life, then kill me again.

I gasped in a breath and opened my eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Azaelia POV**

I groaned, shutting my eyes when the sun was in my line of vision.

"No, no, no, no. Open your eyes." I heard Damon's voice.

I opened my eyes once more and saw Damon, Thorin, and Gandalf. Behind Thorin was the other dwarves.

"You are crying." I said, seeing the tears on Damon's face.

"Because I lost my little sister." He smiled.

"I am not lost, I am right here." I replied.

"Yes, you are." He said before hugging me.

I winced when I felt a slight pain in my stomach.

"I am sorry." Damon apologized, "Are you okay?"

"A little sore, but I will be alright." I answered, sitting up.

Damon and Thorin helped me stand, still not having full feeling of my legs I fell a bit before Thorin caught me. I looked at him,

"The key. I had it. It was in my pocket." I said, looking around on the ground.

"It is alright. I have it." Thorin replied, holding the key up.

"Thank Mahal." I responded, sighing in relief. "Now let's go get that mountain."

"You need to rest." Gandalf said.

"I do not. I feel totally fine." I lied.

"You can barely walk." Damon said.

"I can, too!" I argued.

"Azaelia." Thorin said, "You need to rest."

I sighed in defeat. We walked for a few miles before I needed to stop.

"How close is the pack?" Thorin asked Bilbo as he ran back.

"Too close. A couple of leagues, no more. But that is not the worst of it." Bilbo answered.

"Have the Wargs picked up our scent?" Dwalin asked.

"Not yet. But they will eventually. We have another problem."

"Did they see you?" Gandalf asked. "They saw you."

"No, that is not it." Bilbo replied.

"What did I tell you? Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material." Gandalf commented.

The dwarves started talking, agreeing.

"Will you just listen? I am trying to tell you there is something else out there." Bilbo said.

"What form did it take?" Gandalf questioned. "Like a bear?"

"Yes... but bigger, much bigger." Bilbo replied.

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur asked Gandalf and he turned away. "I say we double back."

"We will be run down by a pack of Wargs." Thorin said.

"There is a house." Gandalf said, facing us, "It is not far from here, where we might take refuge. You could possibly rest there." He said, turning to me.

"Whose house? Are they friend or foe?" Thorin asked.

"Neither. He will help us or he will kill us."

"What choice do we have?" Thorin questioned.

Behind us, there was a roar of a beast.

"None." Gandalf answered.

"Can you run?" Thorin asked me.

"Let's find out." I replied.

We ran through a field and into a forest.

"Come on, quickly!" Gandalf yelled when we heard the roar again.

We ran out into a field again, and Bombur started passing us. I would have laughed if it were not for the pain in my body and we were not running for our lives from a giant beast and Orcs. I tripped and fell onto the ground. I felt arms around me and I looked up at Thorin, who was now carrying me.

"Get inside." Gandalf told us as we ran into a gate and into a house, with the beast right behind us.

Thorin put me down and I leaned against a wooden post and sat down as the dwarves pushed the door closed on the beast.

"What is that?" Ori asked.

"That is our host." Gandalf answered.

Everyone was silent and we turned to look at him.

"His name is Beorn. And he is a skin-changer. Sometimes he is a great black bear, other times he is a great strong man. The bear is unpredictable... but the man can be reasoned with. However, he is not overfond with Dwarves. Now get some sleep, all of you. You will be safe here tonight. I hope."

We all set up our beds and made a small fire. I sat down and the dwarves began to sing,

_The wind was on the withered heath,_

_but in the forest stirred no leaf:_

_there shadows lay by night and day,_

_and dark things silent crept beneath._

_The wind came down from mountains cold,_

_and like a tide it roared and rolled;_

_the branches groaned, the forest moaned,_

_and leaves were laid upon the mould._

_The wind went on from West to East;_

_all movement from the forest ceased,_

_but shrill and harsh across the marsh_

_its whistling voices were released._

_The grasses hissed, their tassels bent,_

_the reeds were rattling-on it went_

_o'er shaken pool under heavens cool_

_where racing clouds were torn and rent._

_It passed the lonely Mountain bare_

_and swept above the dragon's lair:_

_there black and dark lay boulders stark_

_and flying smoke was in the air._

_It left the world and took its flight_

_over the wide seas of the night._

_The moon set sail upon the gale,_

_and stars were fanned to leaping light._

I listened from my laying position and fell asleep.

* * *

**Thorin POV**

I sat against a pile of hay while the others slept. Beside me Azaelia shifted her position.

She was dead. Her brother held her as she died from the wounds those filthy creatures had caused. If it were not for Gandalf she would not be here. I was devastated when I saw her lifeless form. I thought how I would not see her green eyes again. Or the smile she had showing often. I was scared for her when the Goblin King pushed her forward, touching her. To tell the truth, I felt my blood boil. She was clever, grabbing the dagger when no one noticed. She could defend herself, that much I know. She did not deserve a death like that.

I held the key that she had held in death in my hand. If it were not for her, our quest would be over. I owe her for that.

I looked over at her as she woke up, panting.

"Are you alright?"

She looked over at me, startled, before nodding, "Nightmare."

She was obviously frightened from what she had dreamed about.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

She shook her head. I put my arm over her shoulder in comfort and she put her head on my shoulder. I looked down at her and noticed a few white strands of hair on her head.

* * *

**Azaelia POV**

The next morning I woke up surrounded by warmth. I opened my eyes and looked up and saw the sleeping face of Thorin Oakenshield. He looked vulnerable and peaceful in his sleep, unlike when he is awake.

Last night I had a terrible nightmare. It was of Fili and Kili dying. And later Thorin dying from the Orc that earlier attacked us. I just pray to the gods that it does not come true.

A few days later we were back on the road, after eating and training, we were now heading toward an Elven forest. Beorn was kind enough to give us ponies to ride to the start of the path we were supposed to take and also a lot of food. We arrived at Mirkwood by late afternoon.

"Here lies our path through Mirkwood." Gandalf said.

"No sign of the Orcs. Luck is on our side." Dwalin commented.

"Let the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." Gandalf ordered.

"This forest looks sick. As if a disease has come across it." I said, looking at the grey bark of the trees.

"Is there no other way around?" Bilbo asked.

"Not unless we go 200 miles north. Or twice that distance south." Gandalf answered.

We grabbed our supplies off of the ponies and let them loose.

"Not my horse!" Gandalf said, coming out of the forest. "I need it."

"You are not leaving us?" Bilbo questioned.

"I would not do this unless I had to." Gandalf replied.

"Great. He always does this." I said, turning to Damon as Gandalf spoke to Bilbo.

"Everything will be fine. We do not need him all the time. Azaelia, what is in your hair?" Damon replied.

I ran my fingers through my hair, "I do not feel anything."

He touched it, pulling my hair a little, looking terrified, "Just a leaf."

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes, just stay close to me when we travel through the forest, alright?"

I nodded.

"I will be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and the key safe. We do not want a repeat of what happened in Goblin tunnels. Do not enter that mountain without me. This is not the very Greenwood of old. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It will seek to enter your mind and lead you astray. You must stay on the path," Gandalf said as he hopped back on the horse, "Do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again." He said before leaving.

"Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's day." Thorin ordered, "It is our one chance to find the hidden door."

We traveled for hours, days. We crossed a river by using a boat that Kili saw, since the water was black, who knew what that could do, Bombur fell in and he was asleep for days, four of the dwarves had to carry him, and when he woke up, he cried about how he dreamt of a feast. I could not blame him for dreaming of food, we were all starving. We suddenly stopped,

"What is going on?" Damon asked.

"We have lost the path." Gloin answered.

"Find it. All of you, look. Look for the path!" Thorin demanded.

After for who knows how long I found something on the ground.

"Oh, no." I said, picking up a tobacco pouch.

"What is it?" Damon asked.

I showed him the pouch.

"A tobacco pouch? There are other dwarves in these woods?" He asked.

"Nope." I replied. "Bofur!"

"What?" Bofur asked and I threw the pouch at him and he caught it.

"Hey, thanks, I needed a new one, I lost mine a few hours ago. It looks just like my old one." Bofur replied.

"That is because it is yours. We have been traveling in circles." I said. "We are lost."

"We are not lost. We keep heading east." Thorin said.

"But which way is east? We have lost the sun." Dori questioned.

They all started fighting. Arguing and pushing.

"Bilbo, where are you going?" I asked, following him.

"We have to get above the trees, to find the sun." Bilbo answered, starting to climb a tree.

"I will go with you." I replied, following behind him.

Above was beautiful, and I could finally get some air and clear my head. Bilbo and I were facing the sun, and from the leaves blue butterflies flew around us.

"I can see a lake!" Bilbo called down to the dwarves below, "And a river. And the Lonely Mountain!"

"We are almost there!" I called out.

"Can you hear us?" Bilbo asked.

"Hello?"

"Azaelia." Bilbo said.

"What-" I looked over and the trees were moving toward us, "Oh, no."

We ducked down and Bilbo was going to walk down the tree before his foot got caught in a spider web and he fell. And that is when I saw it. A giant spider. Bilbo fell more onto a sheet of webs and the spider wrapped him up. I looked around and saw the others wrapped up as well. There was no way I could save them without being caught. Well, I have already died. So what is the risk?

I quietly climbed down the tree without being seen and found the first figure I found, coincidently, it was my brother.

"Shh, you have to be quiet." I told him and he nodded.

I saw the spiders go around more of the dwarves before there was a noise in the distance and the spiders ran to investigate. Then I saw Bilbo kill a spider.

"Bilbo, are you alright?" I asked.

He nodded, "Let's get the others."

"Right." I said while taking out my dagger.

We went through the webs, cutting everyone to the ground in the cocoon of webs. Then they got themselves out.

"Where is Bilbo? Azaelia? Damon?" They all asked.

"We are up here!" I yelled before a spider appeared in front of us.

It grabbed onto Bilbo and they both fell to the ground.

"Bilbo!" I screamed.

The spiders were coming back. Damon and I jumped on through branches till we were on the ground and helped the others with the spiders.

"We are clear!" Dwalin yelled as we started running.

That night we eventually found everyone from searching through the dark. You cannot see even if your hand was in front of your face. Day after day. Who knows how long we have been in here. I was on watch, not like I could see anything. I heard someone walking and I aimed my bow towards the sound, "Who is there?"

"Shhh." It was Thorin.

"You should be sleeping." I said.

"So do you." He replied, sitting next to me.

"I am taking watch." I responded, "I am not supposed to be sleeping."

"It would not matter. We can only barely see during the day." Thorin said.

"True." I replied before we sat in a comfortable silence.

Before long there was a light in the distance and we heard faint laughter, "What is that?"

Thorin and I stood up and we carefully started walking towards the light. We stopped before we reached it and saw elves dancing and eating.

"Wood elves." He whispered.

"They have food." I said, "Should we ask for some?"

Thorin stared at me,

"Thorin, we are all starving. We ran out of food days ago. And maybe we can ask for directions, we are lost after all." I said.

Thorin sighed and nodded before grabbing my hand and we walked out of the trees to talk to the elves, but the light vanished and they were gone,

"What the-"

"Do not think I will not kill you dwarf. It would be my pleasure." A blond haired elf said, pointing his arrow at Thorin and I.


	9. Chapter 9

The elf, Legolas, took out weapons and brought us to the King, well, he brought Thorin to the king. I was put in a cell deep inside the kingdom and brought food and water. The elf did not check me very well, since I have hidden a dagger in my corset. I ate slowly, waiting for Thorin to come back. I was halfway through my bread when he was shoved inside my cell and his food came not a minute later.

"What happened?" I asked.

"King Thranduil wanted to know why we were in his forest." He answered, sitting beside me and began to eat.

"Do you think they will be okay?" I asked, concerned about Bilbo and the dwarves.

"I am assuming the elves with capture them and bring them here." Thorin said.

I put my tray of food on the ground and stood up before walking over to the cell door and looking around the kingdom I could see.

"They will be just fine." Thorin said from behind me.

"You cannot know that." I replied, "Must be nearly dawn. If they have not noticed we were gone already, they will now."

"Might as well rest." Thorin said.

I walked back over to Thorin and sat next to him and leaned my head onto his shoulder and falling asleep. I woke up when I heard yelling throughout the halls of the kingdom and I stood up and rushed over to the door with Thorin behind me. I recognized the voices of the dwarves and my brother, asking about Thorin and I. But there was a voice of someone I didn't hear. Bilbo.

"You were right." I mumbled after the voices stopped, "How exactly are we supposed to get out now?"

"By keeping faith." Thorin answered and I turned to face him.

He was much closer than I thought he was. If I took a small step forwards I would be against him. He looked down at me and raised his hand to cup my cheek. I reached up and kissed him softly on the lips. He started kissing back when I heard a jingle of keys and I pulled away and looked towards the door.

"Bilbo!" I smiled.

Bilbo flushed, probably from seeing Thorin and I, before unlocking out door and letting us out, "I think it is about time we got out of here."

Once everyone else was out we followed Bilbo down a lot of stairs. When we reached the bottom, there were sleeping elves and barrels and wine.

"This way." Bilbo told us.

"We are in the cellars." Kili said.

"You were supposed to be leading us out, not further in!" Bofur said to Bilbo.

"I know what I an doing." Bilbo replied. "Everyone, climb into the barrels."

"Are you mad?" Dwalin asked.

"This is going to be fun." I told Damon as I got into a barrel on the bottom row and he got in next to me.

"Please, please, you must trust me." Bilbo said to Dwalin.

"Do as he says." Thorin told the dwarves.

Once everyone was in we all poked our head out, "What now?"

"Hold your breath." Bilbo answered before he pulled a lever.

The floor below us tilted and we all fell into the river. We traveled down, following the current.

"Hold on!" Thorin yelled as we approached a waterfall.

In my opinion it was quite fun.

"You are enjoying this, are you not?" Damon asked me.

I smiled and nodded, then a horn blared. As we approached the gates, the guards closed it.

"No!" Thorin yelled as he hit the gate and the other barrels followed behind him.

The guards took out their swords and stood there. I looked up and saw an arrow pierce a guard and an Orc appeared.

"Orcs!" I yelled as the body fell into the water.

I took the dagger out of my corset and stabbed an Orc that fell into the water.

"Kili!" I heard Dwalin yell and throw Kili a sword. He was going to try and open the gate.

Kili was just about to pull the lever when I saw an Orc with an arrow pointed at him. I took a chance and threw the dagger at the Orc, which got him in the stomach. The Orc let the arrow fly, but it barely missed Kili's leg. Legolas then came with others and started killing the Orcs. Once Kili got out of his near-death experience, he pulled down the lever. We went down another waterfall and the Orcs followed by running next to the river. They tried shooting us with arrows, but they didn't have a very good shot. All the arrows hit the barrel, not us. The funniest part was when Bombur's barrel flew up onto land and knocked over dozens of Orcs. The elves ran along, too, killing the Orcs as they ran. My barrel crashed threw another waterfall and it tipped over, dumping me out. I was still underwater, being knocked around by bodies of Orcs and the currents. When my head came above water, there was only a few seconds to get a breath before I was pulled back under again. Just when I thought I was going to run out of oxygen, a hand reached in and grabbed my arm before pulling me to the surface. I coughed and looked into the blue orbs of Thorin's eyes. He grabbed my waist and lifted me into the barrel with him and he kept his hand around me. I looked around and noticed that the Orcs were gone.

"Anything behind us?" Thorin asked.

"Not that I can see." Dori answered.

"I think we have out run the Orcs." Bofur said.

"Not for long. We have lost the current." Thorin replied.

"Bombur is half drowned." Nori called out.

"Let's make for the shore." Thorin ordered.

We swam to some flat rocks a few meters away and slowly climbed on top. Thorin lifted me out and I crawled onto the rocks . He came up to me and put a hand on both sides of my face, "Are you all right?"

I nodded, "Mm-hmm. To be honest it was kinda fun."

He looked around and noticed that no one was looking before giving me a quick kiss on the mouth. Thorin smirked before walking over to Balin and I walked over to Kili.

"Are you okay?" I asked Kili.

"Yes, thanks to you. I could have been killed." Kili answered as we sat down.

"On your feet. There is an Orc pack on our tail." Thorin said, walking by.

"To where?" Balin asked.

"To the mountain. We are so close." Bilbo replied.

"A lake lies between us and that mountain. We have no way to cross it." Balin reposed.

"So then we go around." Bilbo said.

"The Orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight." Dwalin replied. "We have no weapons to defend ourselves."

"You have two minutes to rest." Thorin said.

A few moments later there was a man with a bow and arrow pointed at Ori. Dwalin had a giant stick and stepped in front of Ori. The man shot the stick and Kili was about to throw a rock at the man when he shot it out of Kili's hand.

"Do it again," The man said, taking out another arrow, "And you are dead."

"Excuse me, but you are from Lake-town if I am not mistaken." Balin said, walking slowly over to the man, "That barge over there it would not be available for hire, by any chance?"

"What makes you think I would help you?" The man asked as he started putting the barrels onto his barge.

"Those boots have seen better days. As has that coat. No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed." Balin replied.

"How many kids?" I asked.

"One boy and two girls." He answered.

"And a wife, I imagine she is a beauty" Balin said.

"Aye. She was." He replied.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Oh, come on. Enough of the niceties." Dwalin interrupted.

"What is your hurry?" The man asked.

"What is it to you?" Dwalin replied.

"I would like to know who you are. And what you were doing in these lands." He answered.

"We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains. We are yearning to see our kin in the Iron Hills." Balin answered.

"Simple merchants, you say. Then why do dwarves, traveling to the Iron Hills, have two humans amongst them?" He asked.

"My brother and I were on our way to Rhun when we were attacked by bandits. These dwarves saved us and offered to escort the both of us to our destination." I lied.

"We need food and supplies and weapons. Can you help us?" Thorin asked.

He looked down at the barrels, running his hand over the damaged wood before speaking, "I know where these barrels came from."

"What of it?"

"I do not know what business you had with the elves, but I do not think it ended well." The man replied, walking towards us. "No one enters Lake Town but by lead of the Master. All his wealth comes from trade from the Woodland realm. He would see you-"

While the man talked I got this headache and I rubbed my temples, trying to make it disappear. Somehow Balin convinced the man to let us go on the boat and to Lake Town. We were now even closer to the Mountain.


	10. Chapter 10

I sat against the wall of the boat, next to my brother. The others stood around, and Balin was collecting money to give to Bard.

"Is your headache gone?" Damon whispered and I nodded even though it was worse than before.

Fog has settled across the lake, and it was hard to see. We came upon ruins and Bard swiftly dodged them.

"Are you trying to kill us?" Thorin asked.

"I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. Even if I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here." He answered.

Dwalin was saying mean things about our driver and Bilbo was trying to defend him as Thorin leaned against the boat on the other side of me.

"We do not have to like him. We simply just have to pay him." Balin said, "Now, come on lads, turn out your pockets."

"How do we know he will not betray us?" Dwalin whispered to Thorin.

"We do not." Thorin answered.

"We have a problem." Balin said, "We are ten coins short."

"Gloin, come on. Give it up." Thorin commanded.

"Don't look to me," Gloin responded, "I have been bled dry by this fitcher."

I looked up and saw something amazing. And the others noticed it, too. We started to ignore him and I stood up to get a better view. It was the mountain.

Bard jumped down and came towards us, "The money. Quick! Give it to me."

"We will pay you when we get off this boat." Throin replied.

"If you value your freedom you will do as I tell you." Bard said. "There are guards ahead."

We looked through the fog and faintly saw a town ahead. Lake-town. We paid Bard, and he had us get into the barrels and he went onto a dock. I did not have enough barrels, as it floated down the river when I fell out, so Thorin had me share with him. He sat against the side and I sat in between his legs. As we sat, waiting for Bard, Bilbo told us exactly what he was doing.

"He is selling us out." Dwalin hissed before fish was poured into the barrels.

We listened to the conversation outside, and when a man ordered for the barrels to be emptied, I grabbed Thorin's hand and he squeezed mine, to help calm me down. But then, the man told the guards to stop. We then continued into the town. We once again stopped and we got out of the barrels. We followed Bard throughout the town until a child stopped him,

"Da. Our house, it's being watch." Bard's child said.

Bard came up with a plan to get us inside his house. We had to go through his toilet. Exciting. Not really. When we heard his son, Bain, knock on the wall, Dwalin went up,

"If you speak of this to anyone, I'll rip your arms off."

We all went inside the house and climbed the stairs, "Da, why are there dwarves climbing through our toilet?" A girl asked.

"Will they bring us luck?" A smaller girl questioned.

The older girl, Sigrid, mad a fire and gave us some blankets so we would warm up and the youngest, Tilda, gave us some clothes.

"It may not be the best fit, but it will keep you warm." Bard said.

"Thank you." I told the young girl as she handed me a dress.

Sigrid led me to her and her sister's room and I changed there. When I finished, I put my trousers and tunic out to dry. When I came back into the room, Bard set weapons onto the table.

"What is this?" Thorin asked as he picked up a large stick with four hooks on it.

He told us what each weapons was and Gloin spoke up, "We paid you for weapons. Swords, bows, hammers, not this."

"It is a joke!" Bofur exclaimed before throwing his 'weapon' back onto the table.

Damon grabbed a spear and examined it, "It is not the best. But it will work."

Bard then told us that we could not leave. That people were watching the house, and will alert the Master if they see us. So we had no choice. I sat on the sofa with Damon and Kili, resting my head on Damon's shoulder and holding Kili's hand. We were at the house for awhile, and Bard left. Then we began to leave, but Bain tried to stop us and we walked past him.

There was an armoury in the town, so we snuck are way to the building. By the time we got there, it was dark. Some of the dwarves started piling themselves up towards a window so we would be able to get in.

"Once we get the weapons, we'll head straight to the mountain."

"Go." Thorin whispered and Nori ran before climbing into the window and Bilbo was next.

Once we were all in, we started collecting the weapons. I put a new sword in my sheath and strapped a bow onto my back along with extra arrows. I was strapping a small dagger onto my inner thigh when I heard many things drop.

"Kili?!" I exclaimed and I ran down the steps to help the young dwarf when I felt someone grab me and a blade was held against my neck. Kili and I were hauled up the stairs and I was thrown towards Thorin and he caught me before I fell. He held my hand as we were taken to the middle to the town, the guards surrounded us, and behind them was the civilians. Two guards opened a door and a man with thin red hair came out,

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"Caught them stealing weapons, sire." A guard answered.

"Ah, enemies of the state, then?" The man asked.

"A desperate bunch of mercenaries if there were any, sire." A short man in a funny hat said.

"Hold your tongue." Dwalin replied, and stepped forward, "You do not know to whom you speak. This is no common criminal, this is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!"

Thorin let go of my hand and walked forwards and next to Dwalin, "We are dwarves of Erebor."

There were murmurs withing the crowd and I looked at the people. Some looked scared, and some were intrigued.

"We have come to reclaim our homeland." Thorin said and people became silent, "I remember this town from the Great Days of Old. Fleets of boats in the harbour, filled with silk and fine gems," Thorin turned to the crowd of people,"This was not a forsaken town on a lake, this was the center of all trade in the North."

People nodded their heads in agreement.

"Where is he going with this?" Damon whispered to me.

"No clue." I replied.

"I will see those days return. I will relight the great forges of the dwarves and send wealth and riches flowing once more from the halls of Erebor!" Thorin exclaimed, getting the crowd excited and turned to the Master of Laketown.

"Death! That is what you will bring upon us!" Bard exclaimed as he made his way through the people and the guards and up to Throin, "Dragon fire and ruin. If you awaken that beast, it will destroy us all."

"You can listen to this man, but I promise you this, if we succeed... all will share in wealth of the mountain." Throin replied and I smiled as people cheered, "You will have gold that will build this town ten times bigger!"

"All of you! Listen to me! You must listen! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale? Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm? And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a Mountain King, so riveted by greed he cannot see beyond his own desire!" Bard said to the crowd and Thorin glared at him and Bard turned around to glare also.

"Now, now," The Master of Laketown pointed at Bard, "We must not, any of us, be too quick lay blame. Let's not forget that it was the Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor, who failed to kill the beast!"

"It's true, sire." The short man replied, "We all know the story. Arrow after arrow, he shot. Each one missing its mark."

Bard stepped closer to Thorin, "You have no right to enter that mountain."

"I have the only right." Thorin replied.

Thorin turned to the Master of Laketown, "I speak to the Master of the men of the lake. Will you see the prophecy fulfilled? Will you share in the great wealth of our people?" He asked.

"I say unto you...welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Welcome, Thorin, King Under the Mountain!" He answered and the people of Laketown cheered.


	11. Chapter 11

That night we had a feast. It was loud and cheerful and amazing. We were given lots of food and alcohol, which is very surprising since this town can barely feed themselves. Thorin and I danced with others when some of the town people played instruments. I was full of food, fuller than I have been since I began this journey. We were given a chance to bathe, and it felt wonderful to be free of dirt and dried blood. The gave us clothes, I was given tan trousers and a emerald green corset with a long sleeved under shirt and a dark brown cloak. The next morning we packed everything and left for the dock, where the Master of Laketown had three large boats waiting for us.

"You do know we're one short? Where's Bofur?" Bilbo asked as we walked to the docks.

"If he's not here, we leave him behind." Thorin replied.

"We'll have to, if we're to find the door before nightfall. We can risk no more delays." Balin said.

Where are you Bofur?

We got to the dock, where the civilians of Laketown stood to watch us leave. Guards handed us food and weapons and other supplies until we have reached the mountain. We were given armour to wear, and Damon helped me put it on before we got into a boat.

Twelve dwarves, my brother and I, and Bilbo gotten on the three boats, and as the Master of Laketown said goodbye, Bofur rushed over and jumped onto the last boat and I sighed with relief.

"What is wrong?" Thorin asked from behind me.

"Nothing. Bofur barely made it." I answered. "We will make it to the mountain on time, will we not?"

"At this pace, we should." He replied.

We quickly made it to shore and we had to now climb. We put packs onto our backs and we walked and walked. Bombur did not enjoy it much. He complained just about every step of the way. We walked for hours and we reached old ruins of a town. It was sad looking.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"There lies all that is left of Dale. The mountain's sides were green with woods and all the sheltered valley rich and pleasant in the days when the bells rang in that town. The Desolation of Smaug." Balin answered.

"The sun will soon reach midday. We must find the hidden door into the mountain before it sets. This way." Thorin ordered before he began walking.

"Wait. Is this the overlook? Gandalf said to meet him here, on no account were we to..." Bilbo began.

"Do you see him? We have no time to wait upon the wizard. We are on our own. Come." Thorin replied.

The others walked behind Thorin, but I stayed and stared at the abandoned city.

"He is a wizard, he can take care of himself." Damon said from beside me.

"He was supposed to be here. Something could have happened and he could be dying right now." I replied.

"I understand, Azaelia, but right now, we need to be focused on the task at hand. Reaching the secret door into the mountain before the last light on Durin's Day. That is tonight." Damon said.

I sighed quietly before continuing on with Damon. We finally reached the mountain and we searched for the door. I moved away from the others, to get time for myself, and I found a giant stone carving. Somewhere on the statue, must be the door.

"Thorin!" I yelled. "Up here!"

"You have keen eyes." Thorin whispered to me when the others reached me.

We all climbed up the giant carving until we reached the very top,

"This must be it. The hidden door." Thorin said and face us and held up the key,"Let all those who doubted us, rue this day!"

"We have a key." Dwalin commented and he touched the wall, "Which means there's somewhere there is a keyhole."

"The last light of Durin's Day...will shine upon the keyhole." Thorin mumbled as he looked out at the setting sun.

I went over to him and grabbed his hand, squeezing it lightly as the other dwarves tried to find the keyhole. When they failed to find it, he squeezed my hand before letting go and turned around to face the others,

Nori went over to the wall and placed a glass cup against and used a spoon to tap against the wall in order to see if he could hear where the hidden door was.

"We are losing the light. Come on!" Thorin exclaimed and Dwalin kicked the door.

"Be quiet." Nori hissed, "I can not hear when you are thumping!"

"I can not find it. It is not here! It is not here!"

"Break it down!" Thorin ordered as we began to lose the light.  
We all used our weapons and hit and slashed at the door until we lost the light completely.

"Come on!" Thorin yelled and we continued to hit the stone wall, "We lost the light."

"It is no good! The door is sealed! Cannot be open by force. There is powerful magic on it." Balin told us and we stopped hitting the wall.

"No!" Thorin exclaimed and he pushed his way to the door, and he took out his map, "The last light of Durin's Day...will shine upon the keyhole." He looked at me, "That's what it says. What did we miss?"

The look in his eyes broke my heart. They were sad, as if a child had asked for a toy and their parent refused. I had to look away as tears gathered in my eyes and Thorin looked over to Balin who shook his head, "What did we miss? Balin."

"We have lost the light. There is no more to be done. We had but one chance. Come away, lads. It is over." Balin answered.

The dwarves began to leave, even Damon was walking along with them.

"Wait a minute, what?" Bilbo asked and he looked at Thorin, "Where are they going?"

"You cannot give up now!" I exclaimed, but they kept walking.

Thorin, with a sad look on his face, put his hand to my cheek for a moment and dropped his hand back to his side, and dropped the key to the ground.

"Thorin." I whispered.

He began to walk away, but Bilbo stayed beside me, and so did Fili and Kili. Thorin handed Bilbo the map before leaving.

"You cannot give up now." Bilbo said, but was ignored.

I sat on the ground and picked up the key, Fili and Kili sat on both sides of me, and Bilbo stood in front of the door.

"I died to save this key." I whispered and Fili and Kili put their heads on my shoulder. "I died so you guys could continue this journey, to get your home back."

"Uncle Thorin always told us stories about this mountain. We were so excited to be on this quest, to see the door open. See the halls of our fathers..." Kili whispered and I stroked his brown hair.

"Stand by the grey stone. When the thrush knocks, and the setting sun. And the last light of Durin's Day will shine." Bilbo muttered as he paced in front of the wall, "The last light. The last light.  
Bilbo looked behind us and moonlight hit the wall and we stood up,  
"The last light!" Fili exclaimed.

The light moved until it shined upon a keyhole in the wall,

"The keyhole!" Kili smiled.

Bilbo went over to the edge and yelled down to the others,"Come back! Come back! It's the light of the moon! The last moon of Autumn!"

Thorin came up quickly, followed by the others. I walked over and held out the key, "My King."

He took the key from my hand and walked over to the keyhole. He slid the key in and turned it. Thorin pushed on the door and it opened inwards.

"Erebor." Throin whispered.

"Thorin." Balin mumbled, and Thorin placed his hand on Balin's shoulder before taking my hand and we walked inside.

"I know these walls. These halls. This stone. You remember it, Balin. Chambers filled with golden light." Thorin said happily.

"I remember." Balin replied.

"'Here in lies the seventh kingdom of Durin's folk. May the heart of the mountain unite all dwarves in defense of this home'." Gloin read from an engraving above us.

"The throne of the king." Balin said.

There was a stone above the throne of the king, with light surrounding it,

"And what's that above it?" I asked.

"The Arkenstone." Balin answered.

"The Arkenstone. And what's that?" Bilbo questioned.

"That, Master Burglar, is why you are here." Thorin answered.


	12. Chapter 12

"You want me to find a jewel?" Bilbo asked as he and Balin walked down a hallway nad I followed without them knowing.

"A large white jewel, yes." Balin answered.

"That-that is it? Only I imagine there is quite a few down there." Bilbo said.

"There is only one Arkenstone. And you will know it when you see it." Balin replied.

"Right."

"You are letting him go in alone?" I asked.

"He is our burglar." Balin replied.

"He is a Hobbit and there might possibly be a bloody dragon down there!" I exclaimed before turning to Bilbo, "I will not let you go in alone. I shall go with you."

"What about Throin-"

"Do not tell him then. I am going and that is final." I interrupted Balin and he sighed,

"In truth, lads, I do not know what you will find down there. You need not go if you do not want to. There is no dishonor in turning back." Balin said.

"No. Balin, I promised I would do this. And I think I must try." Bilbo replied.

"It never ceases to amaze me." Balin chuckled.

"What is that?" Bilbo asked.

"The courage of hobbits." Balin answered.

"It is amazing." I smiled down at Bilbo.

"Go now, with as much luck as you can muster." Balin said.

"Oh, and, Bilbo, Azaelia?"

"Mm?" I asked.

"If there is in fact a um...a live dragon down there...do not waken it." Balin said.

"No kidding." I mumbled before Bilbo and I went down the corridor.

We continued to walk until we got to a large area,

"Hello." Bilbo said.

"Who do you expect to respond?" I asked.

"Oh, I do not know, maybe the dragon?!" He replied before knocking on the door frame and the sound echoed through out the room.

"He is not at home. Not at home. Good. Good, good, good." Bilbo said as we walked further into the room and stopped.

"Wow." I whispered as I looked over the sea of gold that seemed to go on for miles.

We walk down the stair case, slowly and quietly onto the gold and dug through, searching for the Arkenstone. It was going to be nearly impossible. There were thousands of coins, armour, shields, weapons, gems, stones, goblets, chalices, and other things I have never seen before.

Bilbo through a gem to the side and it bounced off of the gold, making noises.

"Shush. Shush. Arkenstone. Arkenstone. A large, white jewel." He muttered as he looked around, "Very helpful."

We were climbing a mountain of gold when Bilbo grabbed a chalice and coins began to fall down to the bottom. I winced as coins continued to fall, and I froze when I saw the eye of a dragon, Smaug's eye. Bilbo grabbed my hand and we hid behind a pillar,

"You should not have come." Bilbo whispered.

"I was not going to let you come alone to face a dragon byyourself." I replied.

"If you die, Thorin and Damon will tie me up in a dungeon for the rest of my life." Bilbo said.

"Then I shall not die." I responded.

With our hands still connected, we began to walk in the other direction, but we stopped when we saw the gold shift, and Smaug's tail appeared. We walked downwards, our eyes watching the dragon. When the eye opened, Bilbo dragged me down behind a pile of gold.

As I heard Smaug sniffing the air, out of the corner of my eye, Bilbo pulled a golden ring out of his pocket and put it on and he disappeared.

Bilbo left me. Alone. With a dragon.

I felt something grab my hand, "I am still here."

I let out a small sigh of relief. He did not leave me alone. He just became invisible.

"I will distract the dragon, and you will find the Arkenstone and get out of here." He said before he let go of my hand.

"Well, thief..." Smaug sniffed again, "I smell you. I hear your breath. I feel your air. Where are you? Where are you?!"

There was a noise, I believe it was Bilbo running on top of the gold, and Smaug followed the movements as I ran over to a pillar and pressed myself against it.

"Come, now. Don't be shyyyyy. Step into the light." Smaug's voice was deep and dark, almost hypnotic.

"Mm. There is something about you. Something you carry. Something made of gold. But far more...precious." Was he talking about the ring Bilbo had that made him invisible?

"There you are, thief in the shadows."

Oh, no. Bilbo must have turned visible again.

"I did not come to steal from you, oh Smaug, the unaccessibly wealthy. I merely wanted to gaze upon your magnificence. To see if you really were as great as the old tales say. I did not believe them." Bilbo yelled out.

I watched as Smaug stood to his full height, "And do you now?"

"Truly. The tales and songs fall utterly short of your enormity, oh Smaug, the stupendous." I heard Bilbo reply.

"Do you think flattery will keep you alive?" Smaug asked.

"No. No." Bilbo answered.

"No indeed. You seem familiar with my name. But I do not remember smelling your kind before. Who are you and where do you come from, may I ask?" Smaug questioned.

"I...I come from under the hill." Bilbo answered.

"Underhill?"

I saw something under Smaug, a bright, white gem. That had to be it. The Arkenstone.

"And under hills and over hills my path has led. And...and through the air, I am he who walks unseen." Bilbo said.

"Impressive, what else do you claim to be?" Smaug asked as he brought himself closer to Bilbo.

"I am...luck...luck wearer, riddle...riddle maker." Bilbo said.

"Lovely titles. Go on."

"Barrel rider."

"Barrels? Now that is interesting. And what about your little dwarf friends? Where are they hiding? And the girl with the magic brewing around inside her?"

I froze. Magic? What is he talking about?

"Dw...dwarves? No. No, no. No dwarves here. You have got that all wrong. And I do not know of a girl who uses magic." Bilbo answered.

He is a terrible liar.

"Oh, I do not think so, barrel rider. They sent you in here to do their dirty work while they skulk about outside." Smaug replied.

"Truly, you are mistaken, oh Smaug, chiefest and greatest of calamities." Bilbo responded.

"You have nice manners for a thief and a liar. I know the smell and taste of Dwarf. No one better. It is the gold, they are drawn to treasure like flies to dead flesh." Smaug said. "Did you think I did not know this day would come? That a pack of canting dwarves would come crawling back to the mountain."

I walked away from the pillar, "What do you mean by magic?"

Smaug's head whipped around to look at me, "And there she is."

"I do not have magic. I am not a witch. I'm just a woman." I said.

"I can feel your magic. You have never used it. And it is ready to burst out of you. It could kill you." Smaug said.

"I do not understand. I am from Dunland, I lived in a small village until Wargs attacked and killed my mother. My father died before I was born. A wizard took me in as his own, but that does not mean that I have magic." I responded.

"Dear child, you belong to Varda, also known as Snow-White." Smaug said.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Your hair." He answered.

"My hair is red, that has nothing to do with snow." I replied.

"Is it red? It looks more white to me." Smaug responded.

Smaug turned back to Bilbo, who was now gone, and the movement cause the mountain to shake and Bilbo and I fell.

* * *

"Was that an earthquake?" Ori asked when the mountain shook.

"That, my lad, was a dragon." Balin corrected.

* * *

**I just saw the Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies... I may or may not have cried a little.**


	13. Chapter 13

"The King Under the Mountain is dead. I took his throne, I ate his people like a wolf among sheep." Smaug said as I tried to get to Bilbo, who was trying to grab the Arkenstone.

"I kill where I wish, when I wish. My armor is iron. No blade can pierce me!" The dragon exclaimed and I ran after Bilbo.

* * *

"What about Bilbo?" Fili asked.

"Give him more time." I answered.

"Time to do what? To be killed?" Balin questioned.

"You are afraid." I stated.

"Yes, I am afraid. I fear for you. A sickness lies upon that treasure horde. A sickness which drove your grandfather mad." Balin replied.

"I am not my grandfather." I snapped.

"You are not yourself. The Thorin I know would not hesitate to go in there. Especially when Azaelia is in danger."

"What?" Damon and I asked at the same time.

Balin sighed, "She did not want me to tell you. She knew you wouldn't agree."

"So you lied when you told us that she was going to wait for Bilbo inside, and that she wanted to be alone?" Damon asked and Balin nodded.

* * *

"It is Oakenshield. That filthy dwarvish usurper. He sent you in here for the Arkenstone, did he not?" Smaug hissed.

I was still not near Bilbo, I was beside a staircase. Out of sight from the dragon.

"No! No, no, no. I don't know what you're talking about." Bilbo answered.

"Do not bother denying it. I guessed his foul purpose some time ago. But it matters not. Oakenshield's quest will fail. A darkness is coming. It will spread to every corner of the land." Smaug said.

"You are being used, thief in the shadows and young witch. You were only ever a means to an end. The coward Oakenshield has weighed the value of your lives and found it worth nothing."

"You are the one lying now!" I yelled, angry at the lies he was telling of Thorin

"What did he promise you? A share of the treasure? As if it was his to give. I will not part with a single coin. Not one piece of it!" Smaug replied."My teeth are swords, my claws are spears. My wings are a hurricane!

"So it is true. The Black Arrow found its mark." I heard Bilbo mumble.

"What did you say?" Smaug asked.

"I-I was just saying, your reputation proceeds you, oh Smaug, the tyrannical. Truly, you have no equal on this earth." Bilbo replied before I saw him look down at the Arkenstone.

"I am almost tempted to let you take it, if only to see Oakenshield suffer. Watch it destroy him, watch it corrupt his heart and drive him mad. But I think not, I think our little game ends here. So tell me, thief. How do you choose to die?" Smaug asked Bilbo as his stomach turned red, burning with fire.

I saw Bilbo put on his ring, which caused Smaug to miss. I looked around for Bilbo and was able to see gold coins jump into the air, most likely where Bilbo went. I snuck around Smaug, and ran up the steps after Bilbo.

"He is angry." I told Bilbo when I caught up to him.

"That's why we should not stay for long." He replied before grabbing my hand and we ran back up more steps, eventually to Thorin.

"What were you thinking?!" Thorin asked, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"I was thinking maybe we should not leave Bilbo to go alone and face a dragon." I replied.

"That was very stupid of you." Thorin told me before facing Bilbo,

"Did you find the Arkenstone?"

"The dragon is coming!"

"The Arkenstone? Did you find it?"

"No, we have to get out." Bilbo answered.

Bilbo began to walk to the steps, but Thorin stops him by placing his sword in front of Bilbo.

"Thorin."

Thorin then used his sword to push Bilbo back.

"Thorin!" I exclaimed.

The stood there for a second and I tensed at a sound of footsteps. Footsteps of something giant. We all looked to our left and saw Smaug grinning at us. I heard more footsteps and the other dwarves ran beside us.

"You will burn!" Smaug yelled as he ran towards us.

"Come on!" Thorin yelled and the dwarves and Bilbo jumped from the platform

"Azaelia!"

I put my hands out in front of my body, as if that would protect me. But when the fire from Smaug reached me, it did not burn as it engulfed me. In fact, I did not feel any pain. Am I dead?

"We have to go!" Thorin yelled, wrapping his hands around my waist and dragging me towards the others.

We ran farther into the mountain, away from where the dragon laid. But we knew Smaug could leave that room anytime, and he could follow us.

"We have given him the slip." Dori whispered and Thorin hushed him.

"No, he is too cunning for that." Dwalin replied.

"So where to now?" Bilbo asked.

"The western guard room. There may be a way out." Thorin answered.

"It is too high. We have no chance that way." Balin responded.

"It is our only chance." Thorin replied, "We have to try."

Thorin lead us across the small bridge, but when we heard a coin drop, we froze. We looked a Bilbo, the coin at his feet. It must have been inside his jacket. But when more coins fell, we looked up, and saw the stomach of the dragon. Thorin motioned for us to continue, as if we did not see the dragon, for he certainly did not see us.

"Stay close." Thorin told us as we ran into the guard room.

"That is it then. There is no way out." Dwalin said when they saw the corpses of other dwarves, their kin.

"The last of our kin. They must have come here, hoping beyond hope."

"We could try to reach the mines. We might last a few days." Balin suggested.

"No. I will not die like this. Cowering, clawing for breath." Thorin replied before facing us, "We make for the forges."

"He will see us, sure as death." Dwalin responded.

"Not if we split up."

"Thorin, we will never make it." Balin said.

"Some of us might. Lead him to the forges. We kill the dragon. If this is to end in fire, then we will all burn together." Thorin replied.


	14. Chapter 14

"This way!" Thorin said as he led Bilbo, Balin, Damon and I.

Then, suddenly, Smaug appeared.

"Flee! Flee! Run for your lives! There is nowhere to hide."

Then Ori, Dori, Oin and Bombur came.

"Behind you!"

"Come on!"

"Run!"

While Smaug was distracted by them, Dwalin, Fili, Kili and Nori appeared from another direction.

"Hey, you! Here!" Dwalin yelled.

Smaug chased after the two dwarves, but then was distracted by Bifur, Bofur, and Goin and shot fire at them. We ran towards the forged while the dragon was distracted.

"This way! It's this way! Come on!" Balin exclaimed.

"Thorin!" Bilbo yelled, making him stop.

Smaug suddenly appeared... again.

"Follow Balin!"

"Thorin!" I yelled.

"Come on!" Damon grabbed my hand and we ran after Balin just as Smaug shot fire at us.

When the smoke cleared, all I could see was Smaug's tail going down a giant hole. We ran to the forges and met with the other dwarves.

"The plan is not gonna work. These furnaces are stone cold." Dwalin said.

"He is right. We have no fire hot enough to set them ablaze." Balin replied.

Thorin smiled and turned as we heard Smaug approaching, "Have we not?"

"I did not look to see you so easily outwitted!" Thorin taunted as claws climbed upwards, "You have grown slow and fat in your dotage. Slug!" Thorin turned and faced us, "Take cover. Go!"

Throin grabbed onto me and we all hid behind the stone pillars as Smaug's fire lit the forge's.

"Bombur! Get those billows working! Go!" Thorin yelled as the dragon tried to break in.

"Bilbo! Up there. On my mark, pull that lever." Thorin ordered the hobbit.

"Balin, can you still mix a flash flame?" Thorin asked Balin.

"Aye, it will only take a jiffy!" He answered and he turned to the other dwarves, "Come on!"

"Azaelia, Damon, stay with me." Thorin said as Smaug broke through the gate.

Damon, Thorin, and I stood there, watching Smaug walk into the forges. The dragon froze, then turned his head towards us,

"Now!" Thorin yelled.

Bilbo pulled the lever, and it released water that douses Smaug. Smaug ran towards us and Balin and Ori threw flash fire. Nori cut a line of carts carrying rocks, and they landed on Smaug. Throin ran over to a chain and pulled it, releasing molten gold down a path.

"Lead him to the Gallery of the Kings." Thorin told Dwalin and he ran off.

He came back with a wheelbarrow and he ran past us and towards the dragon.

What is he thinking?

"Where is Bilbo?" I asked, looking around.

"He was at the lever last time I saw him." Ori answered.

"Oh, no." I whispered before running to find Bilbo.

"Azaelia!"

I ran under the dragon and over to the rubble or stone and saw Bilbo.

"Bilbo!" I yelled and ran over to him, helping him stand, "Come on!"

We slid down a stone path, more like a slide, and Smaug followed. When we reached the bottom we saw a door way and ran through there. I thought that maybe we lost the dragon, but I was proved wrong when he crashed through the stone. We ran, trying not to be hit by flying rock, and got covered with a giant banister.

"You think you can deceive me, barrel rider, young witch? You have come from Lake-town. This is some sordid scheme hatched between these filthy dwarves and those miserable trading lakemen. Those sniveling cowards with their long bows and black arrows. Perhaps it is time I paid them a visit."

"Oh no!" Bilbo whispered.

Smaug turned away and I got out from under the banister.

"This isn't their fault! Wait! You cannot go to Lake-town!" I yelled.

Smaug smiled and turned back to us, "You care about them, do you? Good. Then you can watch them die!"

"Here! You witless worm!"

"You." Smaug snarled.

"I am taking back what you stole." Thorin said.

Bilbo grabbed my arm and we ran behind a stone column to see Thorin and Smaug.

"You will take nothing from me, Dwarf. I laid low your warriors of old. I instill terror in the hearts of men. I am King Under the Mountain." Smaug said as he walked towards Thorin.

"This is not your kingdom. These are Dwarf lands. This is Dwarf gold. And we will have our revenge." Thorin replied.

I heard chain snapping and the stone on the statue of Thorin's ancestor broke apart to reveal the same statue, except made of gold. Smaug stared at it, amazed. But then, it began to melt, and it covered Smaug. I thought it was over, that the dragon was dead.

"Ah, revenge! Revenge! I will show you revenge!" The dragon yelled as he ran through the halls, and broke out of the mountain.

We, too, ran out of the mountain through the hole Smaug made and we watched him fly towards Lake Town.

"What have we done." I whispered.

* * *

**It might be a while till I update next, since the Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies is still in theaters.**


	15. Chapter 15

The whole Company stood outside the mountain, watching as Lake-town was destroyed by Smaug. You could hear the screams from here.

"Poor souls." Balin whispered.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and I felt two hands grab mine. It was Fili and Kili. I squeezed their hands before looking back upon the lake. Moments later, the dragon flew into the air before he stilled and fell into the water. He was dead. How?

Oh, what did it matter? The dragon is dead! Smaug is gone!

"What was that? What happened?" Ori questioned.

"It fell, I saw it." Bilbo said.

"I saw it, too." I replied.

Bilbo looked back at us, "Smaug is dead."

"By my beard, I think he is right! Look there," Gloin said, looking at the birds, "The Ravens of Erebor are returning to the Mountain.

"Aye, word will spread. Before long... every soul in Middle Earth will know the dragon is dead." Balin exclaimed and we all cheered.

I turned around to find Thorin, but he was walking towards the front gates of the Mountain and my smile dropped. He hasn't been acting like himself lately. I just pray it isn't what I think it is.

"Are you all right?" Damon asked me.

I nodded, "Yes."

"It's been a long few days. Maybe you should get some rest." He told me.

"Damon, I'm fine." I replied.

"Please?" He asked.

I sighed, "Fine. But, there is not exactly a place to sleep now, is there?"

He grabbed my hand and we walked away from the others and Damon led me down a hallway. We checked each door until we came across a bedroom,

"There you go." Damon smirked in achievement.

"Thank you." I kissed his cheek, "Now you should go get some rest."

Damon left and I closed the door and looked around the room. It was dusty, but I should have expected it, since no one has been inside the mountain for sixty years. It was also quite large. I ran my hand down the blanket on top of the bed before sitting down and taking off my shoes. I stretched my arms and legs before laying on the bed and falling asleep just as my head touched the pillow.

* * *

I groaned as someone shook me awake and I opened my eyes to see Thorin's blue ones. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, "Hi."

"Hello." He smiled and helped me stand before looking around, "I see you have found my room."

I looked around also, "I just went in the first bedroom I found. I hope it is all right."

"It is perfectly fine. We will be sharing once you are Queen." Thorin replied.

"Queen?" I questioned.

"Yes, queen. You will be staying, will you not?" He asked.

"Can I?" I asked.

"Of course." Thorin answered. "And all of your brothers and sisters."

I noticed one of his hands was behind his back, "What is in your hand?"

Thorin took a small step back, "It is something for you."

He opened his palm and I let out a small gasp. It was a black choker necklace with small silver designs on the black cloth and in the middle was a emerald and hanging down from it was another small emerald. **(Link to a picture of the necklace will be on my profile)**

"Thorin, it is beautiful." I whispered.

He turned me around and I moved my hair out of the way so he could put it on me.

"It reminded me of your eyes." Thorin said.

"Thank you." I turned around and gave him a small kiss, "Have you found the Arkenstone yet?"

He shook his head, "Not yet. But we will not rest until we do."

I looked down at the floor, "Thorin, you will not let the gold or the sickness get to you, will you?"

"Of course not." Thorin answered.

"Please." I pleaded.

Thorin put his hand under my chin and forced me to look up at him, "I promise. I will not let it get to me."

He kissed me and my hands gripped his fur coat. Then, all of the sudden, my head began to hurt. Not like the previous times, no, this was a lot worse. It felt like someone hit me in the head with a hammer. Multiple times.

I whimpered and pulled away from Thorin, resting my head on his chest.

"Azaelia?" Thorin questioned, "What is wrong?"

I sat down on the bed and grabbed my head, "It hurts."

Thorin crouched down and put his hands on my knees, "I need to get Oin. Stay here."

"Where else would I go?" I joked, giving him a painful smile before he kissed my forehead and left.

My head got even more painful, as if that was possible. I slowly move my body towards the pillows and I gently laid my head down and I gripped the covers with my hands. My vision became blurry and the room started to become warm.

"Thorin." I whispered before I closed my eyes.


	16. Chapter 16

**Thorin POV**

I got Oin and everyone else except Bilbo followed me back to my chambers where Azaelia was. When I opened the door, I saw her lying down on the bed. I rushed over to her and my eyes widened. Her hair was completely white.

"Azaelia?" I questioned.

Her eyes were closed, she was not moving, and she was very pale. I put my hand on her forehead but quickly retracted when her skin burned my hand.

"Oh, no." I heard Damon whisper from behind me.

He didn't sound very surprised. I turned to face him,

"What is happening to her?" I asked him.

* * *

**Azaelia POV**

_'Three rings for the Elven-kings under the sky... seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone...'_

"Nine for mortal men doomed to die." Galadriel said.

Around her the ghosts of the mortal men appeared and she backed up against a statue and she sat down, Gandalf's head placed in her lap.

_'You cannot fight the shadow. Even now you fade. One light... alone in darkness.'_

"I am not alone." Galadriel stated.

Elrond walked up and he unsheathed his sword and then Saruman appeared.

"Come, child." I turned to look at Galadriel, who was staring at me.

I took out my sword and took a few steps forward, "No, no. Put your sword away. You do not need it."

I frowned in confusion and Elrond spoke, "You should have stayed dead."

Two ghosts attacked both Elrond and Saruman and one came after me. It quickly disarmed me and I backed myself against a wall. It was about to bring its sword down upon me and I held my hands up and fire shot out of them, knocking the ghost back and off the cliff. I stared at my hands for a moment before looking up as Radagast took Gandalf and ran away.

Another ghost jumped in front of me and I held my hands out and more fire spewed from my hands, hitting the ghost until I backed it up to the edge and I kicked it, sending it off.

Elrond and I went over to Galadriel and I placed a cautious hand on her arm. I didn't know if I could burn her or not, but I didn't. Then, there was a small explosion and a fiery eye appeared.

_'It had begun. The East will fall. So shall the Kingdom of Angmar rise. The time of Elves is over. The Age of Orcs shall begin.'_

The nine figures we had fought appeared in the fire and floated towards us. Galadriel stood, but she was darker. She raised a hand towards the figure and they flew backwards.

"You have no... power here servant of Mordor." She said in a dark voice.

A larger, different figure appeared as the pupil of the eye, and around it, the fire changed colors quickly.

"You are nameless... faceless... formless. Go back to the void from whence you came!"

The light disappeared and I fell to the ground. Elrond caught Galadriel and they both sat on the ground.

"We were deceived." Elrond said in Elvish.

"The spirit of Sauron endured..." Galadriel began.

"And has been banished." Saruman finished.

"He will flee to the East."

I'm going to be honest, I have no clue what or who they are talking about. I do not know what is going on or how I got here.

"Gondor should be warned. They must set a watch on the walls of Mordor." Elrond said, standing up.

"No. Look after the Lady Galadriel." Saruman replied, "She has spent much of her powers, her strength is failing. Take her to Lothlórien."

"My Lord Saruman, he must be hunted down and destroyed, once and for all." Elrond responded.

"Without the Ring of Power, Sauron can never again hold dominion over Middle Earth. Go now. Leave Sauron to me." Saruman said.

Saruman left and Galadriel turned to me and smiled, "Hello, Azaelia."

"Hello." I replied.

"I believe you are not here in a solid state." Galadriel said and she stuck her hand through my stomach and I gasped, taking a step back, "Where is your body right now, child?"

"In the Mountain." I answered.

"You should return." She told me.

"How?" I asked.

"Close your eyes." Galadriel whispered, "And picture Erebor in your head. You need to wake back up, dear child."

I did and I took a deep breath. I imagined the room I was in. Thorin's room. The walls were stone and the bed had light blue blankets, almost the color of Thorin's eyes. There was a few doors in the room, but I didn't go see where they lead to. I was too tired. Next to the bed was a small table with an old candle that burned out long ago. The pillows upon the bed were soft, probably filled with something expensive.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in the room. On the bed was me, and next to it was Damon, sitting on a chair.

"Damon?" I questioned, but he did not look up at me and I walked over to him.

"I am sorry." I heard him whisper. "I am so sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" I asked him, even though he could not hear me.

Damon looked up at my body and I could see the tears on his face, "I did not tell you and I apologize for that. When I thought you died after our village was attacked, I would not have to worry about it."

"Are you talking about the magic?" I asked, recalling what Smaug said.

"I guess I should tell you now because... I believe you can hear me. I do not know why, but I think you can." Damon took a deep breath, "Our father was a wizard. The Red Wizard. He never told me his real name. We knew him as Tilion. He was able to control fire and smoke, I remember he used to show me tricks when I was young. When you were born, father told mother and I that you had the gift. He said that your magic was dormant until you come to a time of great emotion. What emotion? We did not know. Tilion said it was different for every child of magic. You are the last one, at least, that we know of. The others were killed, hunted down by orcs. I believe that is why our village was attacked that day. They were looking for you."

I sat down on the bed beside my body and next to Damon and I touched his arm. He shivered and looked towards my direction.

"Why did you never tell me? Were you afraid I would not be able to accept it? That I was a freak? Damon, how could you look at me? Mother and the youngling's father were killed because of me. The whole village is dead... all because they were looking for me!"

There was a knock on the door and Fili and Kili opened it,

"How is she?" Kili asked.

"No change." My brother answered.

"Thorin wants everyone at the gate." Fili said.

Damon nodded, "All right."

I followed the four down to the gates where the others were. They all began stacking the broken stones, repairing the gate.

"I want this fortress made safe by sun-up." Thorin ordered, "This Mountain was hard-won, I will not see it taken again."

"The people of Lake-Town have nothing." Kili said. "They came to us in need. They have lost everything."

"Do not tell me what they have lost, I know well enough their hardship. Those who have lived through dragon fire should rejoice! They have much to be grateful for." Thorin replied, looking out upon Dale where camp fires were lit. "More stone! Bring more stone to the gate!"

"You are letting it get to you." I whispered.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hail Thorin, son of Thrain." Bard said as he rode up to the gate on a horse, "We are glad to find you alive beyond hope."

"Why do you come to the gates of the King under the Mountain armed for war?" Thorin asked.

"Why does the King under the Mountain fence himself in... like a robber in his hole?" Bard replied.

"Perhaps it is because I am expecting to be robbed." Thorin answered.

"My Lord... we have not come to rob you, but to seek fair settlement. Will you not speak with me?" Bard questioned and Thorin nodded.

He climbed down the gate and onto the ground, peeking through a hole that was in the gate to look at Bard.

"I am listening."

"On behalf of the people of Lake-town, I ask that you honor your pledge. A share of the treasure, so that they might rebuild their lives." Bard said.

**"**I will not treat with any man, while an armed host lies before my door." Thorin replied.

"That armed host will attack this mountain if we do not come to terms." Bard responded.

**"**And your threats do not sway me."

"What of your conscience?" Bard asked. "Does it not tell you our cause is just? My people offered you help and in return you brought upon them only ruin and death."

"When did the men of Lake-town come to our aid but for the promise of rich reward." Thorin questioned.

"A bargain was struck!"

"A bargain? What choice did we have but to barter our birthright for blankets and food. To ransom our future in exchange for our freedom. You call that a fair trade? Tell me, Bard the dragon-slayer, why should I honor such terms?" Thorin replied.

"Because you gave us your word. Does that mean nothing?" Bard asked.

Thorin moved away from Bard's view and looked at the other dwarves, my brother, and Bilbo,

"Begone! Ere our arrows fly!"

Bard hit the stone wall before getting back onto his horse and riding back to Dale, with everyone watching on top of the wall.

"What are you doing, Thorin?" I asked, even though he can not hear me.

"What are you doing? You cannot go to war." Bilbo said.

"This does not concern you." Thorin replied.

"Excuse me, but just in case you have not noticed, there is an army of Elves out there. Not to mention several hundred angry fishermen. We...we are in fact outnumbered." Damon responded.

"Not for much longer." Thorin said.

"What does that mean?" Bilbo asked.

"It means, Master Baggins, you should never underestimate Dwarves. We have reclaimed Erebor. Now we defend it." Thorin said before leaving.

* * *

That night, the dwarves prepared themselves for war. They gathered weapons and armour. When Bilbo watched them, Thorin called out his name.

"You're going to need this." Thorin stated, holding up a vest, "Put it on."

Bilbo began taking off his coat as Thorin spoke, "This vest is made of silver steel. Mithril it was called by my forebears. No blade can pierce it."

"I look absurd." Bilbo said when he put it on, "I'm not a warrior, I'm a Hobbit."

"It is a gift, a token of our friendship. True friends are hard to come by." Thorin replied before pulling him away from the others, "I have been blind, but now I am beginning to see. I am betrayed!"

"Betrayed?" Bilbo questioned.

"The Arkenstone...one of them has taken it. One of them is false." Thorin explained.

"Thorin, the quest is fulfilled, you have won the Mountain. Is that not enough?" Bilbo asked.

"Betrayed by my own kin."

"No, uh...you..you made a promise to the people of Lake-town. Now is this treasure truly worth more than your honor? Our honor, Thorin. I was also there, I gave my word." Bilbo said.

"For that, I'm grateful. It was nobly done. But the treasure in this Mountain does not belong to the people of Lake-town. This gold...is ours, and ours alone." Thorin replied. "With my life I will not part with a single coin. Not one piece of it."

"Thorin, you are beginning to sound like that dragon." I whispered.


	18. Chapter 18

That night I watched as Bilbo left the mountain and left for Dale, to speak with Bard. Thorin sat next to the bed I was laying in the whole night. He didn't say anything, he just held my hand. The next morning, there was an army of elves in front of the mountain.

Thorin took an arrow and shot it in front of Thranduil, "I will put the next one between your eyes."

The dwarves began cheering and the elf army aimed their own arrows and the dwarves quieted immediately. Once the elves put their arrows away, Thranduil spoke,

"We have come to tell you payment of your debt has been offered and accepted."

"What payment?" Thorin questioned. "I gave you nothing. You have nothing."

Thranduil looked to Bard, and the man pulled out the Arkenstone, "We have this."

"The have the Arkenstone. Thieves! How came you by the heirloom of our house? That stone belongs to the king." Kili said.

"And the king may have it, with our good will." Bard replied before he put the stone back into his pocket, "But first he must honor his word."

"They are taking us for fools. This is a ruse and a filthy lie. The Arkenstone is in this mountain, it is a trick!" Thorin exclaimed.

"It is no trick!" Bilbo announced, "The stone is real. I gave it to them."

"You would steal from me?" Thorin asked the Hobbit.

"Steal from you? No, no. I may be a burglar, but I like to think I'm an honest one. I'm willing to let it stand against my claim." Bilbo answered.

"Against your claim?" Thorin chuckled, "Your claim, you have no claim over me, you miserable rat!"

"I was going to give it to you. Many times I wanted to, but..."

"But what, thief?" Thorin asked.

"You are changed, Thorin. The dwarf I met in Bag End would have never have gone back on his word, would have never doubted the loyalty of his kin. You promised Azaelia you wouldn't let the gold get to you, but you broke that promise." Bilbo said.

"Do not speak to me of loyalty." Thorin growled, "Throw him from the rampart!"

But the dwarves did not move. They refused to carry out Thorin's order.

"Did you not hear me? I will do it myself!" Thorin yelled as he grabbed Bilbo, "I curse you!"

"No!" Fili yelled and the dwarves tried to stop Thorin.

"Cursed be the wizard that forced you on this company!"

"If you do not like my burglar, then please don't damage him. Return him to me." Gandalf said as he stepped up to the front next to Bard and Thranduil, "You're not making a very splendid figure as King Under the Mountain, are you, Thorin, son of Thrain?"

"Never again will I have dealings with wizards! Or Shire rats!" Thorin yelled as he let Bilbo go.

Bofur grabbed him and helped him away. Bilbo grabbed the rope again and jumped over the edge to get away and back over to Gandalf.

"Are we resolved?" Bard asked, "The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised."

Thorin looked over at the horizon, "Give us your answer. Will you have peace or war?"

A black crow landed in front of Thorin,

"I will have war."


End file.
